The Beginning of the End
by Elizabeth Robbins
Summary: The war between humans and mutants is comming. Wolverine meets a woman who can stop the war if she is willing to make the sacrifice. Please RR. Now complete
1. Default Chapter

The Beginning of the End

Disclaimers: I don't own the X Men. I'm just playing with the for a while. I'll return them in time for dinner.

Archive; Yes you may, just tell me where.

Feed back: Pretty please. Any and all feedback is lovely.

Chapter 1

Dust and exhaust clouded the air as he climbed out of the truck in front of the diner. Nothing changes, he thought. The diner he stood in front of was familiar to him. Good food, strong coffee and most important, no nosy people. He could get a meal in peace here. That's why he came.

A soft tinkle of a bell sounded in the diner as he opened the door. The odor of good food billowed out of the door. Steak and eggs sounded good. And coffee … lots of coffee.

"Logan," a cry came from the counter. "When did you get back?"

A tall female figure flew from the center of the room and latched onto his neck, cutting off his air. The scent of French fries followed her.

"Nancy, darlin," he gasped out. "I can't breathe."

She let him go, embarrassed. "Sorry Logan, it's been too long. Sit down. I'll get you some coffee and a menu."

He made his way to a table in the back of the diner. Nancy had tried to make the place look a little more upscale by adding white table clothes to the decor. It was still a diner. Nothing would change that fact. His usual table in the back of the room was taken. It had a clear view of the door and most of the diner. Growling, he sat at the next table.

She placed a cup of coffee and the promised menu in front of him. "So, how long are you staying this time?"

"Don't know yet, darlin." he replied. "I needed to take some time off."

She looked at him closely. Sadness was reflected in his eyes. Too much death, too much pain, too many lost friends.

"Oh Logan" she said quietly. "You've been through so much. I'm here if you need me."

She reached down and squeezed his hand. She had known Logan for a long time and knew that he wouldn't call her. She looked down at the top of his head and sighed. She left him to look the menu over.

It hadn't changed. He looked at the menu, deciding on his meal. He wasn't paying that much attention to the card in his hand. A new odor reached his nose. A very familiar scent: fear.

Glancing around, he tried to isolate the source. It wasn't strong but it was definitely fear. He knew most of the people in the diner. He'd owned a cabin ten miles from here for almost five years. The small town nearby was like most other small towns. Everyone knew everyone else. There was only one stranger in the place. She was almost an elf. Tiny, round face surrounded by red waves. She wasn't beautiful, she was stunning. The fear was coming from her. She hid it well. If it wasn't for his nose, he would swear she was unconcerned about what was going on around her. 

Nancy returned to take his order and refill his coffee. He ordered a New York strip, rare and three eggs over easy. That should hold him until morning.

His attention returned to the beauty at the next table. She was reading a book, looking for all the world like she was totally engrossed in the story. Her eyes, however, gave her away. They never stopped for long on the page. She sipped her coffee, closing the book.

Nancy placed a plate in front of him and he began to eat. The scent of fear kept his alertness high. He found himself doing the same thing she was doing, scanning the room repeatedly.

Stop, he told himself. You're being paranoid.

Suddenly, the scent changed. It wasn't fear anymore, it was terror. It was so powerful, it made him nauseous. He felt something brush by his ankle. The combination of scent and touch was nearly enough to jump up and attack. He looked around to see what the threat was. Two men were coming through the door. They were threat enough. Well fitting, expensive suits that covered well used, expensive guns. Shit, he thought.

He glanced back at the table behind him. Empty. The girl was gone.

The two pairs of eyes glared around the diner, looking at everyone. One man passed by Logan's' table on the way to the restrooms in the back. The other went to the counter to talk to Nancy. She shook her head at the questions he asked. The one in the front was relaxed and not likely to cause trouble. The one in the back, however, radiated anger like a beacon. He slammed open the ladies room door and walked in.

"Hey" Nancy called, "You're not allowed in there."

"Shut-up bitch" he growled. "I'll look where I need to."

Logan made to get up and confront the goon when he felt a tug on his jeans.

"Don't" the whispered plea floated up to him from under the table.

Logan growled as the second man passed by the table. He marked the man's face in his leaky memory. Payback's a bitch, bub. I'll find you later. He glared at the back of both men as they left the diner, promising himself that he would deal with them later.

She had never been so frightened. They never got this close before. Four days without sleep had made her stupid and slow. She had been surviving on coffee, carbohydrates and adrenaline. She dove under the first table she came to when she saw them outside. She had seen the man at the table when he came in. The waitress knew him very well, so he was a local. That made him safer than a trucker or other transient. She sat now, on the floor under the table, trembling with fear. She couldn't stay now. She would have to flee to protect these people She heard the men leave and made to get off the floor. A rough hand landed on the top of her head, holding her down.

"Stay down, girl," he whispered in a rough voice. "They're still outside."

The trembling lessened with the touch. She didn't know what it was with this man but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. How she knew that, she couldn't say but she knew.

"How many are after ya, girl?"

He knew, she thought.

"Come on, girl. I don't have all day," he growled

"Four," she whispered.

"Feds," he asked?

"No"

"OK. When I say, get up and head for the back door through the kitchens. Stay in front of me and don't look back. Don't let your coat flap. I'll get you out. Try to tone down yer fear. The scent is turnin' my stomach."

She waited a tense few minutes while he ate his meal. She tried to control her fear with limited success. He finished his dinner and got up.

"Come on, girl," he said in a low voice. "Get in front and lets get out of here."

She scrambled out from under the table and took a position in front of him. He dropped a bill on the table to pay for his food. 

"Let's go." He placed a hand on the small of her back and lightly pushed her forward.

They quickly left the diner and headed out to the alley behind the building. 

"Head for the trees."

They were quickly swallowed up by the trees as the entered the forest. A clearing opened up about on hundred yards from the road.

"Stay here," he told her. "I'm going to get the Jeep and come back for you."

With this, he disappeared into the darkness. It didn't take him long to retrieve his car and return to the clearing, only to find her gone.

"Damn it," he growled. "I told you to stay here."

He sniffed the air, turning in a circle.

There you are, he thought. Been running a while. Her body odor told him she hadn't bathed in days. The ground showed little of her passing. If it weren't for his senses, he wouldn't know where she had gone.

Yer good, darlin, he thought, but not that good.

Her scent trail was easy to follow. It took him ten minutes to find her. She jumped as her came up behind her.

"I told you to stay put."

She whirled around and faced him with her fists out, balanced on the balls of her feet.

"Don't make me laugh, girl."

"It's not a joke," she replied. "I've had twenty years of Tai Kwan Do. I can take care of myself."

"I can see that. But it won't help you here. Not enough room to maneuver."

She glanced around. They were hemmed in by trees. He was right. There was no room. She could get one , maybe two good blows, then she was trapped. He could kill her easily and no one would ever find her body. The fear returned with a rush.

"Now you see it, eh. I'm not going to hurt you, girl. I aim to help you."

"How do I know you're not with them?"

"Ya don't," he said simply. "Yer gonna have to trust someone eventually."

"I've been doing OK." she said, defensively.

"Sure ya have."

He looked at her closely.

"How long has it been since ya slept," he asked quietly. "A few days, a week?"

"Four days," she said quietly. "I'll be OK for another day."

"Under normal stress, maybe, but this is ain't normal stress, girl."

She had to give him that but could she trust him. She'd been used to keeping her thoughts to herself and protecting herself that giving up that control was hard. He was right, though. She needed to trust someone. But was he the one to trust?

"I'll do everything I can to get you outta this."

"You can't," she said, defeated. "I don't have an out."

The sound of voices reached his ears. "Lets go, darlin. We have company commin' and I don't feel much like entertainin' tonight."

She hesitated. "I have a place in the woods," he explained. "No one visits cause it's so hard to find. You'll be safe there for a while."

"I don't want to involve anyone else," she said. "People die because of me." She hoped he would pause at what she said. She would rather leave him alive but clueless about her problems.

"Don't worry about me, girl," he told her. "I'm hard to kill."

She looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"Come on, kid. Let's go."

She was still unsure if she should trust him, but he was right. She needed to start trusting someone. She decided to give him limited trust and go with him.

The took the long route back to the Jeep, passing within yards of her pursuers. She was amazed that they didn't see them. Logan was very good in the woods, better than her. It was as if he could sense them from a distance. What was it about him that made her look to him for help?

The drive to the cabin was silent. Both were busy with their own thoughts. Logan noticed that her fear was less, but not gone. She didn't trust him. That was OK. He didn't trust her, either. He knew why he was helping her; he was a sucker for a beaten dog. He couldn't help himself. She needed as much help as she could get.

He looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. She couldn't be more than twenty five. Few people had his healing factor to keep them young looking. She was tiny; not much over five feet tall. She was swathed in layers of clothing in a vain attempt to stay warm in the early winter weather.

The cabin was as far from civilization as you could get and still be on the planet. It was small, but cozy. Two rooms, a latrine out back. Logan had built it many years ago. Every time he needed to recharge his batteries, this is where he came. Even when he was recovering from the rages he was subject to, he always knew where this place was. It was a part of him that he never forgot, no matter how bad it got. It was here he came to recover his humanity after the rage took over. This was the first time he had ever shared this part of him. He still wasn't comfortable with it.

"Come on," he told her. " let's get you inside and into bed."

She trudged in without seeing where she was going. She was too tired to care. The drive to the cabin had lulled her into a stupor. She felt his hands on her shoulders, guiding her to the bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and removed her shoes. 

"You know how to use a gun?" he asked.

She looked up at him and attempted to focus.

"Stay with me, girl. Do ya know how to use a gun?"

She nodded, focusing on his face.

H placed the gun on the table next to the bed. "I'll check you out on it when you wake up. Go to sleep now."

She toppled over onto the pillow and fell asleep. He tucked the quilt around her, turned the wick down on the lamp, and left the room.

This would complicate things. His last mission had left him with large holes in his memories that needed filling. He had come here to try to find the lost parts of himself. Now he had to baby sit a little girl who had some big goons after her. Who the hell was she? Why were these guys after her? Why should he care?

Questions. Always questions. Grabbing a pillow off the couch, he made a bed on the flood in front of the fire. Questions tonight. Answers tomorrow. With that, he lay down to sleep.

The next morning, he woke to the smell of coffee. Confused, he looked around through slitted eyes. Oh, yeah, he thought, the girl.

Stretching, he got up off the floor. A cup of coffee appeared before his bleary eyes.

"Good morning," a soft voice said. " wasn't sure when you'd wake so the coffee may be a little strong."

He took a cautious sip. Strong, but not bitter. Just the way he liked it.

"Good." he said, taking a longer sip.

"Breakfast will be a little while," she said. "You might want to clean up a little before we eat. I hope you like hot cakes."

"They'll do," he said getting up off the floor. He realized that some women need domestic chores to regain their balance. She was probably one of them. 

Grabbing a towel from the cupboard, he left the cabin and went to the river to bathe. He was still recovering from the last mission he was on. His healing factor was dealing with the severe injuries he sustained in the conflict. Later today, he would be back to normal except for his memory. That, generally took a little longer.

Every time his rage exploded, the animal part of him took over. And every time this happened, large holes appeared in his memories. The longer the rage lasted, the larger the holes. The larger the holes, the longer it took for him to recover the memories. Some never came back. Portions of the past will forever remain a mystery to him, no matter how long he waited. The holes this time weren't big. He should be fine in a few days but he really needed time to himself. Several teammates had been hurt in the last battle and he felt guilty for failing to protect them. In the last few days at the mansion, he had become very difficult to live with. Cyclops had finally had enough and ordered him off the grounds to regain his temper, or as Cyke called it, his "Balance".

He bathed in the icy stream. This would become uncomfortable as the weather got colder. He would have to set up something in the cabin for the winter if he was to remain here. It wouldn't cause any permanent damage to him but it sure would be painful. He was not afraid of pain, but he wasn't a big fan either.

He finished quickly and returned to the cabin. The scent of bacon and hot cakes. His stomach gurgled in response. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. He found the girl dishing up breakfast for them. 

He sat down at the table with his coffee and she placed a plate in front of him.

"Eat up," she said.

He sniffed the plate. He was immune to poison but it could be very painful if the food was poisoned. His senses didn't detect anything and she wasn't smelling of duplicity, so he ate.

They passed the meal in silence. She still smelled nervous.

As they finished, he made a decision.

"I can't keep callin you girl. What's yer name?"

"Kate," she said without looking at him. "Kate Dempsey."

"Logan," he said.

"I know."

"What are you running from?"

She didn't answer.

"I can help, Kate."

"You will die, like everyone else who tried to help."

"I'm very hard to kill, darlin."

She looked over at him. He wasn't tall, but he was powerfully built. His hair was swept back away from his face in two peaks. His sideburns were long and shaggy, framing his face. His eyes were what held her. They were old. Older than they should be. He had seen much and that was reflected in his eyes. He was a warrior, born and bred. That thought was both comforting and frightening. What was held in her mind could ignite a was that would destroy everything. She was afraid of what this man could do in that war.

The scent of fear was increasing. 

What the hell was going on here? He thought. What has frightened her now?

The more she thought, the more afraid she became. Her thoughts were stuck in a terrifying loop of war and destruction. She was no longer aware of Logan of the cabin. The visions swarmed around like an angry storm.

The odor of terror filled the air. Logan gritted his teeth against the instinct to fight. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Stop," he cried. "Yer broadcasting."

Her eyes cleared and she became aware of her surroundings again. She looked at him and paled.

"Oh God," she whimpered. "I so sorry, Logan."

He struggled to control himself. He needed to get out of here before he lost it. 

"I need to leave. Air out the cabin and I'll be OK."

With that, he bolted. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She was confused. How did he know her emotions? Was he telepathic? Maybe he was empathic. This may be trouble.

She opened the doors and windows to air out the cabin. She washed the dishes and returned them to their place in the cupboard. She kept herself busy cleaning the cabin. As she picked the quilts off the floor, guilt washed over her.

"What's the guilt for?" Logan said as he entered the cabin.

"How do you know what I'm feeling" she asked

"Yer scent," he replied. "I have an educated nose."

"Oh. I thought you might be telepathic or empathic."

'Just answer the question."

"I'm sorry for taking your bed. I'll sleep on the floor tonight."

"Don't worry about that. I'm used to roughing it." He said sitting at the table. "Sit down, Kate. I need some answers."

She hesitated, deciding how much to tell him.

"Come on," he said. "I can't help you if I don't know what I'm facing."

"I can't get you involved, Logan."

"We got out of there OK last night. But how long do you think it will take them to figure out where you went. They came close last night. They'll eventually find you. Then what will you do?"

She lowered herself into the chair. He was right. They would eventually find her. And if they find her, they will find Logan. She had to leave.

She jumped out of the chair and ran to the bedroom. Grabbing her satchel, she ran for the door only to find it blocked. Logan stood there with his arms across his chest. She whirled and grabbed the gun from the night stand.

"Going somewhere, darlin," he asked.

"Move Logan," she said. "I will shoot you to save your life."

"Well, that don't make sense. You'd kill me to save my life?"

"I won't kill you. But it would be a long time before you would feel up to chasing after me."

He advanced on her slowly, his face hard.

"When you shoot a man, darlin, always shoot to kill. Never give an enemy a second chance to get ya. Always be sure he's dead before you leave."

He was close; too close.

"Logan, don't." she brought the gun up to his heart. "I don't want to kill you."

"Never let an enemy get this close," he continued his lecture. "Always keep an enemy two arms lengths away from your weapon. Protect your advantages. Defend your weaknesses. Exploit the weaknesses of your enemy. If you need to go in close, be sure of your plan. Strike hard and fast, then get out."

The gun began to lower as the lecture went on.

"Never point a gun at a man unless you mean to kill him, including me."

He looked into her eyes.

"Make up your mind, Kate. Kill me or put the gun down and let me help you."

She looked at him with eyes brimming with tears. "I can't"

"Can't what. Kill me or level with me?"

She lowered the gun. "Both."

"I wasn't kidding when I said that people die around me. In the past year, I have lost my father and every friend I confided in. I can't allow any more to die because of what I know."

"I'm very difficult to kill, Kate."

"But you can be killed. Everyone can be killed."

"Maybe."

She stared at the floor. "I have never killed a man. I don't want to start with you."

He tipped her head up. "You can't hurt me. I heal very quickly."

"Are you a mutant?" she asked, quietly.

He nodded.

"Oh." she said simply. "Makes sense."

"You ain't afraid of me?"

"No. Why would I be?"

"Most people are afraid of mutants. They don't know what they can do."

"I don't know what anyone can do."

"Are you a mutant?"

"No more than any other human. We all have mutant genes but I don't have an X factor if that's what you're asking."

This was the first time he had heard a human talk about X factor without fear. He found it refreshing. Then the thought came to him.

"How do you know about X factor?"

Once again, the scent of fear filled the room.

"Stop it," he said through gritted teeth. "You're going to have to get past the fear or we can't go anywhere. The scent is overwhelming."

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything."

"Please, trust me. I can help. I have friends that …"

"NO," she yelled. "No friends. No more deaths. No more killing. I can't take any more."

She sat on the bed, defeated.

"Everyone I ever cared about is dead because of me and what I know. I need to tell the proper people what I found out and it will stop. I can't involve anyone else."

He wasn't listening. He was sniffing the air.

"Logan?"

"Too late, darlin. They're here."

Panic began to set in. She struggled to control the rising tide. Logan would need to keep his head.

He grabbed her satchel and her hand and pulled her to the window. He threw the satchel out the window. "Climb out and disappear into the trees. I'll come and get you when I've dealt with this."

She opened her mouth to argue. His hand clamped over her mouth.

GO, he mouthed.

She slipped out the window and into the woods.

He turned to greet the four men as they came through the front door of the cabin.

"Where is she," the smallest asked.

"Where is who?"

"Katherine Dempsey."

"Don't know a Katherine Dempsey. Now, get off my land."

"Big attitude, little man," the biggest sneered. This was going to be fun. This shrimp needed to be taught a lesson.

Logans' hard eyes raked the group. They were soft from easy living. Not much of a challenge. He took several steps toward them.

"Last chance. Get off my land."

All four pulled guns from their jackets, smiling.

That was the signal. Six adamantium claws popped with a snikt. All four stopped where they were.

"Once drawn, they must be used," he growled. "Honor demands it."

With that, he leapt. The fight was quick and bloody. They would live if they got medical attention. Anger was there, but not rage. He went to the river and washed the blood off his claws. When they were clean, he retracted them with a snakt, the pain of their use fresh. He grabbed his own satchel and left the cabin.

He found her where he told her to be which surprised him. She wasn't good at taking orders. Old One Eye would hate her. It would be worth it just to watch the two of them together.

The thought of his team mates was painful but he couldn't remember why.

"Come on. I know a safe place."

They crept around the cabin to the Jeep and left the area. But not before she saw the blood in the front room of the cabin.

"Logan, what happened?"

He glanced over at the doorway.

"Pulled a gun on me." he said quietly.

She stared at him as they drove away. Jeez, she thought. What have I gotten myself into? 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

What kind of man is this, she thought. He is able to take on four heavily armed men and not have a scratch on him. She had been close enough to the cabin to hear any gunshots but she can swear that there were none. She knew these guys. They were pros. They wouldn't have made the mistakes she did. They would have shot to kill if they were given the chance. Evidently, Logan didn't give them a chance.

"How many teams were after you," he asked?

"At least three," she told him. "All groups of four. I'm sure there will be more but not for a couple of days. When they don't report in, another team will be sent to their last location. They'll start looking from there."

"Figured," he said. "That's what I'd do."

"They're very hard to shake," she told him. "I lost a team in Portland four days ago but only because a friend was willing to die for me. I can't let that happen again."

"Don't worry, darlin. I'm used to being hunted by the best." he told her. "We'll head south, for the States, the head east."

"Where are we going?"

"Westchester, New York," he told her. "I have a friend who has a house there that is very well protected."

"Logan," she began.

"Don't worry," he interrupted. "This guy won't let you get hurt. Neither will I."

They drove several hours before stopping for lunch. Logan found them a small diner with a good view of the road to eat in. As they ate, she explained what has been happening to her for the past year.

"I'm a geneticist," she explained. "For the past ten years, I have been working on a research project for BioGen labs in Seattle. We have been looking into the workings of the X factor, why it is so versatile. How it can cause so many different mutations. Why it is manifested in so many different ways. Why it is sometimes not active while other times it is so active that the subject is highly dangerous."

"I get the picture," he growled. He wasn't stupid. He also wasn't a scary big brain. Talk about how the mutations manifested themselves made him uncomfortable. "Get on with it."

"I was in charge of obtaining test subjects. I would identify a possible subject and I would send a team to talk with the family or the individual about participating in the project. About a year ago, I became curious as to what the researchers were doing and I hacked into their computer." She stopped and gulped. This was going to be delicate. Logan may not like what she was about to say.

"Not all of the test subjects were willing participants," he finished for her.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I see it too much."

"I went to the doctor in charge of the project at first. The next day, I found myself demoted to lab assistant and given test tubes to wash. That's when I knew I was in trouble. I had to get out before the found out I knew more. I copied all of the files and ran. That was two weeks ago. I need to get to Washington and present my evidence to a sympathetic ear."

"Not sure you'll find one, darlin."

"There has to be someone sympathetic to the Mutants. The group is very large. I know that there are several mutants that are rich and powerful. Maybe I need to talk with them."

"Most of the rich ones don't care about the struggles of the poor ones. They are hiding themselves in the general population. The don't want to be exposed." he told her. "You'd have a hard time getting any of them to listen to ya ."

"What about Warren Worthington. He can't hide. He has wings for God's sake."

"Angel boy was hurt on a mission last month." Where did that memory come from?

"What," she whispered. "You know him?"

"We've met," he said.

"You know the X Men?"

"Yeah, I know em."

"Logan," she began grabbing his hand.

Suddenly, her eyes lost their focus and her skin paled.

"Kate," he asked?

"Kate, come back to me."

She was gone less than a minute. As quickly as her eyes lost their focus, it returned.

"What just happened," Logan asked in a low whisper.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "Did you just say something?"

"Kate, are you telepathic?"

"No," she replied. "Much worse."

"Well," he said when she didn't elaborate. "What's worse?"

"I'm precognitive." she said in a frightened whisper. "I see what's coming." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I know what precognitive means." he said, testily. "You told me you weren't a mutant."

"I'm not," she said. "I'm from a long line of precognitive women. We're not mutants. None of us have the X factor in our genetic codes."

His eyes narrowed. "Sure sounds like a mutant trait to me."

"I know it does but trust me, it's not."

He paid the tab and they left the diner, returning to the road. He drove in silence for a while before asking the question that was uppermost in his mind.

"What did you see?"

Her head whipped around to look at him, surprise evident on her face.

"You believe me?"

"Darlin, I'm a mutant. I've seen all sorts of things that are supposed to be impossible. My life should be impossible. I can heal from wounds that should be fatal, including being shot in the heart. I believe just about anything."

She smiled coyly at him.

"I saw you making love to a woman. Sometime in the near future, you will find a woman who can match you. She will heal you in a way you yourself can't."

Logan found himself blushing for the first time in a very long time.

"Well," he said after clearing his throat. "I'm no saint."

She sniggered. "Aren't you curious?"

He ignored her for another twenty miles before his curiosity got the better of him.

"OK," he gave in. "What did she look like?"

She chose her words carefully. "That's the funny thing. I didn't see her. Just you and a female form. I usually see everyone who is involved in a vision but this time I didn't." He could never know she was lying. She saw the woman Logan would love. It was the second part of a vision she had last year. That vision was why she needed to get to Washington. This vision would break Logan. There was nothing she could do to help him now. Fate was in control.

They drove on until midnight. Logan found an out of the way motel and stopped for the night. He knew they should continue on but he was tired. Mistakes were made when you were tired. That last battle took more out of him than he thought. If only he could remember it.

They got a room with two beds. Kate fell asleep quickly. Logan was a little too keyed up to sleep yet. He went to the bar across the street and ordered a beer. Picking up his beer, he went to the pay phone in the back and placed a collect call.

It was three AM in New York and Scott Summers was not pleased to have the phone jangling in his ear. He was in the middle of a great dream that involved Jean, a big tub of Cool Whip and for some reason, a standard poodle. Grumbling, he got out of bed and answered the phone.

"And good morning to you, grumpy," Logans' cheerful voice came through the handset.

"Logan, it's three AM." At the sound of his voice, his wife, Jean rolled over and opened her eyes.

"Logan," she whispered.

"Go back to sleep," he told her.

"Logan," he said into the receiver, "Why are you calling at this ungodly hour. And why are you calling at all. I thought I told you to regain your balance."

"Working on it, Slim. I need you to research someone for me. Her name is Katherine Dempsey."

"Katherine Dempsey." Scott repeated. "Why am I looking her up?"

"She's commin for a visit," Logan replied. "Thought you'd like to know as much as possible before we showed up."

"Logan, if this is another one of your floozies, I'll blast you into next week." he began angrily.

"Ask Hank. I gotta feelin he may know her." Logan interrupted. "Give my love to Jubes."

With that he hung up. Cyclops was best taken in small doses.

Scott gripped the phone in a temper.

"Scott," Jean said. "Logan usually has a good reason for doing what he does. Come back to bed. Let me see what I can do about that dream of yours. Lets try it without the poodle."

He grinned, wolfishly and climbed into bed and into the arms of his wife.

Logan finished his beer and returned to the room. Kate was fast asleep but restless. Logan could sympathize. He had nightmares that would frequently wake the entire house. Nothing Jean of the Professor could do stopped them. He wasn't sure he wanted them to stop. They were the only clue to his past. Some one had used him as a lab rat in the past. Fifteen years ago, he woke up in the middle of a forest, naked, exhausted and covered in blood not his own. He had no idea who he was or what had happened to him. He only knew his name was Logan. He spent a lot of his time trying to find out what happened to him. Yeah, he could sympathize with her.

Her scream jolted him out of his bed and across the room before he realized there was no visible threat. He sheathed his claws and rushed over to her.

"Kate," he called grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Wake up. You're having a nightmare."

Her eyes popped open and raced wildly around the room.

"Oh God," she whispered with a shaky voice. "They're all dead."

"Who are, Katie?"

"The plane went down in the mountains and they all died. I felt them all die."

"What plane?"

"Trans Continental. I didn't see the flight number but it has already left. They're in the air now. I'm too late." She began to sob. "God, Logan. I hate this."

He gathered her into his arms and began to rock her. This was a threat he couldn't protect her from. He whispered quiet nonsense to her in an effort to calm her down. Slowly, she began to relax.

Her head came up and watery green eyes looked back at him. Her hand reached out to him and stroked his face.

"You're a good man, Logan," she said with a weak smile. "Don't let anyone tell you different."

For the first time, Logan really looked at her. She was incredible. Clouds of red hair framed her face. His body told him he was holding a very female form in his arms. He had thought that she was a child but the woman in his arms was no child. She was warm and soft with curves in all the right places. She had the most magnificent breasts he had ever had the pleasure of gazing at. He glanced back to her eyes. He knew he was in trouble. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He bent his head and took her mouth with a feathery kiss. That was the end for him. He kissed her again. Arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He couldn't stop if his life was depending on it. He had to have more. He lifted hid mouth from hers.

"Are ya sure, Katie?"

Her arms pulled him back down in response.

"Please, Logan. Don't leave me like this. I can't take it."

It was wild. It was sweet. It was the most incredible night he had ever had. She wasn't afraid of him at all. She explored every inch of him, and he, her. He found a spot behind her right knee that left her breathless with laughter. She found a spot on his lower back that left him breathless with passion. By the time the sun rose the next morning, he was more than a little in love with her. Finally, they slept.

Logan woke feeling better than he had in years. His dreams had been untroubled by the nightmares of the past few weeks. He stretched out to gather her into his arms but she was gone. He opened his eyes and found her sitting on the other bed, watching a special report on TV. A jet had gone down in the Colorado mountains during the night, killing all 142 people on board. His heart sank. She had seen this happen forty five minutes before it happened. She was precognitive. He knelt in front of her and took her face in his hands.

"There was nothing you could have done for them, Kate."

"I could have warned them."

"Would they have listened?"

"No," she said. "They would have accused me of bringing the plane down."

H kissed her lightly. "Let's go. The next team will start out today. We need to be gone before they can track us here."

As it was, the next team was outside the door. Logan smelled them just before they kicked they way into the room. Kate dove under the bed. Logan, however, never hid in his life and he wasn't going to start now. He joined the fray with claws flashing. In less than a minute, three were dead. He wounded the last one enough to stop the attack.

"Tell your boss," he growled at the last assassin, "Kate has a protector. Any more teams come after her and they die. Got it?"

"Why are you protecting her," the wounded man asked. "She worked in a lab that used up animals like you."

Logan, his temper gone, lashed out and cuffed the man with an adamantium laced fist. The assassin slid to the floor, senseless.

"Come out Kate," he called. "They're dead."

"Logan," a small voice came from under the bed. "Is there anything you want to tell me about yourself?"

He went to the bathroom to clean his claws. As he came back into the room, he found her sitting on the bed fully dressed. She deserved an answer to her question.

"I was a lab rat for the Canadian government a number of years ago. They grafted adamantium to my bones. The claws are most likely part of my mutation."

She was stunned. How could he have survived something like that. It must have been incredibly painful. No wonder he had an attitude. Normal humans would have died from the shock not to mention the pain.

"Oh my God, Logan"

"It was a long time ago. I don't really remember the procedure. I have nightmares about pain."

She didn't know what to say. None of her words could change what had happened to him or relieve the pain he still felt at the rape of his life. She knew the governments of Canada and the United States had done some questionable experiments on mutants decades ago but how could he have been a part of them. He looked around thirty five years old. Most of those programs ended twenty years ago. He would have been a child when it started. Metal doesn't grow.

He noticed her confusion. "What's wrong?"

"How old are you?" she asked cautiously.

"Not entirely sure," he replied. "I have memories of the second world war. I remember fighting in the south pacific but not which island."

She was stunned. "Your healing factor." she said suddenly. "It must make you nearly immortal."

"I don't know about that, darlin." he said, embarrassed. "It takes a beatin from time to time. There's no sure way to tell if it has a limit. It may decrease as I get older, it may not. Only time will tell."

He got dressed and grabbed their bags. "We gotta go,"

"Logan," she said. "How did they find us so quickly this time?"

"Not sure," he replied as the got in the Jeep. "We'll get as far away as we can in two hours of driving then look through out things. I think we may have a tracker on us." They were one hundred fifty miles from the motel after two hours of driving. Kate's' nerves were a wreck. Logan drove without regard to speed limits or road conditions. He found a roadside rest stop to take a look at their things. They took everything out of their bags and looked at them with a wary eye. They found nothing. They pulled off their clothing and looked through them. Still nothing. He looked her over, closely.

"The locket." he said.

"My father gave this to me when I was ten. It can't be that." she protested.

"Give it here," he ordered.

"But," she began.

"Kate, give it to me."

She sighed and took the necklace off and gave it to him. Logan opened the locket and looked at the inside. There was a picture of a beautiful redhead that looked very much like Kate. He flicked a claw.

"Logan, wait," she cried. "You'll cut it up. I'll do it."

She took the locket from him and pulled the picture out of it. There was a space behind the picture that should have a lock of her mothers' hair. There, they found what they were looking for. A small chip.

What to do with the chip was a bone of contention. Logan was not an expert in computer hardware. He hoped they could crush the chip and go on from there. Kate knew differently. She recognized the chip. It was the type used in aircraft black boxes. It could survive the crash and burn of an airliner. Stomping on it wouldn't do anything.

They would be watching the chip. It needed to keep moving or they would know it had been found. She had an idea.

"Logan," she said "Find me a small animal. Don't kill it."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give these people something to chase."

Logan began to grin. "I have a better idea."

He found what he wanted hibernating nearby. A male wolverine, still groggy from winter sleep and cold. He attached the chip to the animal with a deft little knot and returned him to his den.

"Logan, these things are vicious." she began. The she got it. Wolverines hated to be treated roughly. Whoever reached in to pull it out would regret it for a very long time.

"Oh," she said, grinning. "You're bad."

The packed up their things and returned to the road.

The next few days passed without incident. The nights passed in a haze of passion. It was as if they couldn't stop. Sleep was the last thing on their minds. After the third night without sleep, she came to a decision.

"Logan," she began. "We can't continue spending our nights making love. We have to sleep."

He looked over at her grinning. "Wore ya out, huh?"

She smiled in as she recalled last night. "It's not that. I need sleep."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "I can't help finding you sexy darlin. I got needs."

"Needs huh." she laughed. "Isn't sleep a need?"

"OK darlin." he told her. "I'll let you sleep tonight. I want to do something about that information you have first. So you have a copy of the stuff you took from the computer?"

"Yeah," she said, confused. "On disc. What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to send it to a friend. If you get caught with the disc, all of the information will be lost. This way, you'll have a back up. They can't kill you until they get it all back."

"Good idea. Who are you going to send it to?"

"X Men"

This startled her. "How do you know they'll accept it?"

"I'm one of em." he said as he got into the car.

She stood there, speechless.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"

"Get in the car darlin."

"Wait a minute." she said. "You can't drop a bomb like that without explaining."

"Get in the car and I'll explain."

She gave up and got in the car. He explained how he came to the X Men. The talked a long time about what they represented and his role on the team. He told her about his team mates and told her some of the funnier conflicts he had with Cyclops. He told her about the school and the kids he had become so fond of. He mentioned Professor Xavier and Hank McCoy.

"Dr. Henry McCoy?" she asked excitedly. "The geneticist?"

He dropped the package into a mailbox.

"Yeah," he said surprised. "You know him?"

"I studied under him at Colombia. He's brilliant." Wheels began to turn in her head.

"I sending the disk to Hank and Chuck. They'll keep it safe."

"OK," she agreed. "They won't be able to read the disc. It's encrypted with an unbreakable code."

"Don't count them out," he warned.

"The code isn't in English," she said. "The information isn't in English either."

"Obscure language?" he asked.

"About as dead as it comes." she told him. "I don't speak anything other than English but I read 42 different languages, most of them dead."

"Scary big brain." he said with a smile.

"Strange early education," she replied. "My father was an anthropologist. Mother was the scientist and smarter than Dad. She worked on the very early computers. She was the one who first sparked my interest in computers. She also was the one who got me into genetics. She was a gifted geneticist. Her work was directly responsible for the cure for Cystic Fibrosis. She died two years before the cure was presented to the FDA."

"You come by your brains honestly," he remarked.

The drove on in easy silence for another thirty miles before Logan's brain finally kicked in. The cure for CP was developed almost thirty five years ago. Kate had clear memories of her mother. She was considerably older than she appeared.

"Kate," he began

"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure the math. I'm 45 years old. Genetics is my second career. I worked as a computer programmer for the first twenty years of my adult life. I designed several security programs that are still in use today. The best of them, I update monthly."

"You don't look a day over twenty five," he remarked. "Are you sure you aren't a mutant?"

"I'm sure," she told him. "Mother died from breast cancer. Mutants are immune to most cancers, including breast cancer. She never looked older than twenty. She was forty seven when she died."

She was quiet for ten minutes. When she spoke again, it was with a slow sad voice.

"Daddy never got over her death." she said. "Neither did I."

His arm came around her and pulled her close. They drove on. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Later that day, their luck ran out. It was the perfect place for an ambush. The road narrowed with trees on both sides. The two cars blocked both sides of the road. Two more pulled in behind them as the road curved, cutting off their escape route. Logan knew he would survive but Kate could be seriously injured if they tried to break the road block. He stopped.

"Logan," she asked.

"Just cooperate," he told her. "Make sure you tell them the disc has been sent to a safe place. They won't kill you until they get the disc back. Don't tell them anything about me. I'll get you back out as soon as I can."

They were pulled from the car roughly. Logan recognized on of the men. The same guy from the motel. One of the guys had numerous scratches and bites on his face and hands. Logan got a warm, fuzzy from that.

"Watch out for the little guy," the man warned. "He's tougher than he looks."

"Good advice," Logan growled. He heard Kate squeak behind him and whirled around. A big man had her by the throat with a gun to her head.

"Settle down, hot shot," the man warned Logan. "You don't want the gun to go off."

"Logan," she said. "Don't do anything stupid."

'Pay attention to the lady, Logan." the man holding Kate said. "I do thank you for keeping her safe."

He reached down and cupped her breast. Logan gritted his teeth as Kate gasped and turned green.

"She any good Logan?" he asked. "She's probably a firebrand in bed. I'll have to find out."

The plan went out the window as Logan felt the rage rise.

"Leave her alone," he warned them.

"Kill him," the first man ordered.

Bullets flew hitting Logan at least sixteen times. The wounds were enough to kill a normal man. Logan knew he would be in bad shape for a few hours. He looked over at Kate, willing her to do what he said. Her eyes were filled with fear but she nodded. With that, Logan passed out.

When he awoke, he was in a pool of his own blood. He felt like someone was tap dancing on his head with cement boots. Every bone in his body ached. Bullets littered the ground as his body pushed them out and began the healing process.

(Logan) Jean's voice echoed in his head.

(Dammit Jean, that hurts.)

(Sorry), she sent a psychic balm to dull the pain in his head.

(We found Katherine Dempsey. You were right. Hank knows her.)

(Jean, darlin, she was kidnapped from my car about a hour ago. I need to know everything about BioGen. I'm pretty sure they are involved.)

(Are you alright Logan. I'm sensing some serious injuries.)

(Nothing permanent.)

(I'll have Scott send a team to help you.)

(No,) he told her (I'll get in faster and quieter without help. I sent a package to the school this morning. I need you to keep it safe until Kate and I can get to the school,)

(I'll keep my eyes open for it.)

(Don't try to read it. She probably has a booby trap in the file.)

(Be careful Logan.)

(Aw Jean, you know me.)

(Yes, I do.) she laughed and left his mind.

He got up off the road and got back into the car. First things first. He needed to find BioGen. Then payment comes due.

He headed to the next town and got a room at the seediest hotel in town. He placed a call to the mansion and talked with Charles and Hank. Both were impressed that he knew Theresa Dempsey's daughter.

"She was the premier soft ware designer of her time," Hank gushed. "I understand her daughter is an excellent designer, herself. I had her in a class almost twenty years ago; advanced genetics. She was very promising. I understand that private industry got a hold of her after she got her PhD. Too bad. She would have made a sterling teacher."

"Hank," Logan interrupted. "This is not a fan club. I need to know about BioGen. Where is it? How do I get in?"

"We're looking up the information, Logan," Xavier told him. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"I'm fine," he lied.

"BioGen is about ten miles north of Seattle, Logan," Scott's voice came over the line. "I'm trying to access a floor plan from the fire department but it's slow going. We don't have a hacker any more."

"Ask one of the kids Scott. They're better at computers than we are." Logan instructed.

"I'm not going to ask a child to do something illegal." Scott said scandalized.

"A woman's life depends on finding a way into BioGen, Scott. Find the way, and I'll get her out."

"Do what he says Scott," Xavier told him. "Get into that data base. Jean and I will see if we can find her, Logan. Head for Seattle. Give me a call when you arrive."

"Will do," Logan replied. "Oh Charlie, one thing. Kate is human with precognitive powers. Watch how deep you go into her mind. Some of the visions she has are pretty bad."

"Precog, Logan?" Hank asked. "In a human?"

"I was kinda surprised myself. She knows what X factor is and knows she doesn't have it."

"Find her Logan." Xavier ordered him.

Logan hung up the phone. Lying back on the bed, he lit a cigar and took a deep drag. Blowing the smoke over his head he thought about what he needed to do. Kate could still get killed if he didn't keep his head. If the animal got out, Kate would die. Most likely by his own hand. Putting out his cigar, he rose and settled onto the floor. Taking deep breaths, he slipped into the safety of his own mind. The safe place in his Id was the cabin. It was different this time. Kate was part of the warmth he felt. He couldn't see her but he could smell and feel her there.

Hold on Kate, he thought. I'm commin fur ya.

He meditated for hours, loosing track of time. When sunshine brushed across his eyes, he got up, showered, dressed and left the room. He caught an early flight to Seattle paying extra for first class. No one bothered him on the flight which was fortunate for them. Meditation had not reduced the anger boiling through him.

Landing in Seattle, he grabbed his satchel and left the airport. He rented a car and headed north toward BioGen. He stopped at a hotel near the labs and called the school.

Scott came through for him. On of the new students has the power to make machines do whatever he wanted them to do. All he needed to do was ask the schools computer to get the information from the fire department computer. The fax was waiting for him when he checked into his room. Studying the floor plan, he traced his route to the high security lab in the basement. This was the most likely place for them to hold her. They could stand off an army from that location. Too bad for them he wasn't an army. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He needed sleep before he went in there. But first, a beer. He went down to the bar and ordered a beer. He found a table in the back and sat down. The bar wasn't too crowded at this hour of the day but he still attracted the attention of a leggy blond. She made her way over to his table and sat down.

"You look lonely," she remarked.

"Not interested," he told her gruffly.

"That's OK. I'm not selling tonight. I'm just observing that you look lonely."

He ignored her as rudely as he could.

"Girlfriend not coming?" she asked.

He glared into her eyes.

"She must be something special, this girl. She has you tied up in knots." .  
He continued to ignore her.

"If she's so special, why are you sitting here. Go get her."

He got up from the table and glared down at her.

"Stay out of my life Mystique," he growled.

"Can't fool you, Wolverine," she purred. "Truce?"

"Why would I want a truce with you?" he asked

"You need to get a certain person out of BioGen. I'm interested in getting her out as well. The information in her head is as important to me as it is to you."

"I don't believe you," he said. "I've trusted you before and been burned."

"I can tell you now you won't get in without me. The place is tighter than Fort Knox. I can get you in. You will have to get the good Doctor out alive. I can't help you there."

"Does Magneto know what you're doing?"

"He knows but he won't get involved."

"Yeah, sure," he said sarcastically.

"Eric has no intention of interfering with your mission. Dr. Dempsey, although she is human, has information that will advance his cause tremendously. He has no intention of jeopardizing her reception when she delivers this information to the world. It is too important for all of us. He realizes that the world views him as a terrorist and for her words to be taken seriously by the world, he must disassociate himself from her situation."

What the hell did Kate know that Magneto wanted her to speak to the government? It had to be more than mutant experimentation. There had to be more to the story. He weighed his options. Mystique would be an asset that could come in handy. But could he trust her? She was devoted to Magneto. It would be just like her to double cross him as the worst possible moment. He needed her to get in if the security is as tight as she claimed. He needed to be stealthy going in or Kate was dead.

"Alright," he said. "I agree but if you cross me, I'll cut you from neck to crotch and feed your innards to the sharks."

"Fair enough," she agreed.

They returned to his room to look over the floor plan. She knew the compound well. She had replaced a guard on the night shift several weeks ago. She refused to tell him why she had been positioned at BioGen but Logan could figure it out for himself. Magneto found out about the experiments and was trying to stop the project and free the mutants. Logan could agree with the aims Eric was after but he had to take exception with his methods. Eric didn't hesitate to kill, even when he was not threatened. His aim was to replace Homo Sapiens with Homo Superior. Logan would prefer that nature take it's course. In a few hundred years, mutants would be the dominant species. Inter breading was already spreading the mutations, the increase in the number of mutants was evidence of that. All they needed to do was wait.

Mystique pointed out the back entrance to the labs and showed him the best route to the high security labs. It was different than the route he had figured. She informed him that there were areas of the floor that were pressure sensitive and would not allow him to pass unnoticed. She didn't know exactly where Kate was being held but she was sure she was somewhere in the basement. Logan asked her to let him in the building and get out of his way. Mystique agreed to this.

They decided to go tonight. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kate woke with cotton mouth and a headache. She had been drugged. The memories of what happened were fuzzy. The light on the room was making it difficult to think. Her head pounded without mercy. Suddenly, she felt another mind touch hers and the headache lessened.

Looking around, she found herself tied to a chair. She was decidedly uncomfortable. Her legs and arms were cramping and she had to go to the bathroom.

"Hey," she yelled. "Any one there?"

"What do you need Kate," a familiar voice called out.

"Michael," she asked. "Is that you? Come here and untie me. I need to get out before they come back."

Michael walked out of the shadows. Tall and handsome, he wore an expensive suit and Italian shoes. He exuded power. He was the head of research at BioGen. "They're already here, Kate."

"You're the one responsible for this mess?"

"No dear, you are," he told her. "You procured the test subjects. You are responsible. I'm still wondering how you found so many prepubescent mutants. Powerless as of yet. Most of them never went active but the few that did were very informative, especially post mortem."

"How many did you kill?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"All of them," he informed her. "I couldn't take the chance that someone would believe your claims and come looking for them. I also needed their codes to find a way to kill them. That's the main objective; to find a was to kill them all."

"Are you insane?" she demanded. "Do you realize how many people you're talking about?"

"Doesn't matter. They all have to die. We need to take back our world. It's not like they're human."

"They are human, you fool. They're the next stage of evolution. They're what we're becoming."

"They are not human," he yelled. "They're animals, only fit for experimentation."

He walked to her and leaned down and looked into her eyes.

"Where is the disc?" he asked.

"What disc."

"I know you copied the files. Where is it?"

She remembered Logan's instructions. "I sent it to a friend."

"You don't have a friend. I made sure of that."

She was stunned. This man always presented himself as a kindly supervisor. He had been genuinely sorry when her father was killed. He made sure his staff was happy. Requests were granted so often she had wondered if he was worried that a competitor was going to snatch them away. He wasn't concerned about competitors; he was concerned that they would talk to the police or FBI.

"You ordered the killings," she whispered.

"Of course I did," he told her. "I needed to make sure none of you have any distractions. It is important that this research continue. We must take our world back."

She was stunned. He never showed his bigotry before. She couldn't understand it. How could people think this was after the turmoil of the 1960's? 

Haven't we learned our lesson? She thought.

"Where is the disc?" he asked again.

"Bite me," she snarled. "I won't help you spread you're hate."

The hand holding her chin tightened painfully.

"Give her the pentobarbital," he ordered.

A man dressed in a lab coat left the shadows. She recognized him. He was Kevin, her lab assistant. He was also holding a syringe half full of a clear fluid. Swabbing her arm, he injected the fluid.

"Kevin," she gasped at the burn. "Why are you doing this?"

"Don't worry Kate," he smiled. "Just tell him what he wants to know and you'll be fine."

Buzzing filled her head as the drug took effect. Voices blurred and wavered. She lost concentration.

And so, the questioning began.

It went on and on. She had no sense of time passing. She was tired but they refused to allow her to sleep. She was struck several times. Her only thought when that happened was Logan will be angry. She had no idea what she told them.

"What language is she speaking," Kevin asked.

"I have no idea," Michael said angrily. "I've never heard it before."

He was frustrated. She hadn't spoke English for several hours. The only thing they got from her was that Logan would be mad. She obviously didn't know he was dead. The last team assured him of that.

It was getting late. He had a benefit to attend. He ordered Kevin to continue the drugs and questions. Maybe she would slip back into English and give them some idea where the disc was.

Logan watched the man leave. Mystique had let him into the building and left on her rounds. Security was heavy here. Two goons stood outside the lab while five more were on rotating rounds in the halls. He had taken care of the wanderers. Now to take care of the doormen.

Slipping around the corner, he stepped up to the guards and popped his claws. Driving them deep into the chests of both men, the dropped without a sound. Looking through the door he saw the man inside hit Kate with a powerful backhand. Anger faired to life in him. This one will be a pleasure to kill.

With a flash of claws the door opened. The man inside jumped away from Kate with a squeak.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I'm your worst nightmare," Logan told him.

With a flash, he was on him. Logan usually killed with a minimum of effort. A quick thrust to the chest or abdomen and move on. This man was abusing Kate however. Him, Logan carved into small pieces. He walked carefully over the blood slicked floor and slashed the bindings holding Kate to the chair. She was mumbling in a strange language. Logan spoke many tongues. He'd never heard this one before.

"Come on darlin," he said quietly. "Lets get out of here."

He lifted her into his arms and left the room. He mad it back to the entrance where he ran into Mystique holding on to a tall, older man.

"I think you'll want to talk to this one Wolverine," she told him.

He set Kate down on the floor and flashed a warning to Mystique.

"You in charge of the hell hole?" he asked.

"And just who the hell are you," the man asked defiantly.

"Names Logan,' he told him. "You've been trying to kill us?"

The man paled. "They told me you were dead." They also told him Logan was big trouble.

"I'm very hard to kill, bub," Logan growled. "You didn't get my message. I told you to stop. Now you pay."

Logan flashed out with his right hand claws and sliced the man from neck to leg. Blood flowed. The man's hands clenched at his abdomen attempting to hold his guts in.

"I didn't start this bub, you did. I will finish it."

He picked Kate up and left the building. He was mildly surprised to find the Blackbird sitting on the lawn outside the lab with Cyclops and Storm waiting beside the ramp.

"We take care of our own Logan," Scott replied to the question in Logan's eyes.

After take off, Storm confirmed that Kate was drugged but would recover in a few hours. Logan contacted the school and let Xavier know what he found.

"I didn't find any mutants Charlie," he told Xavier. "Only the stench of death. I think they killed them all to cover up their activities."

"You're probably right Logan," Xavier replied. "How is Dr. Dempsey?"

"Sleepy and banged up a little," Storm replied. "She'll be fine." 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The flight to New York too three hours. Kate was beginning to wake up by the time they landed. She still was confused and not speaking English. Xavier caught a few words as she was wheeled to the medical unit and understood them. She was speaking Aramaic. He was amazed. Aramaic was known to biblical scholars but to few others. The language was not in general use. This was going to be interesting.

Beast met them in the medical unit. Storm had performed a field examination, quick and dirty. Hank did a more in depth exam. Scans showed a small skull fracture that had Logan raging around the unit.

"I promised her she'd be safe," he yelled when Beast and Storm informed him of the injury. "This shouldn't have happened. They shouldn't have been able to track us. How did they keep finding us so quickly?"

"Logan," Beast interrupted the rant. "I found a bio chip in her brain. I haven't ascertained it's function as of yet but I'm sure one of them is a locator. They went to a lot of trouble to place it in an area of the brain that, in some people, it where telepathy is centered."

"But she's not telepathic, she's precognitive."

"Is she?" Beast asked. "Is she awake or asleep when she has these visions?"

"Both."

"I need to run a few tests but I think someone is generating the visions. They are using her sleep cycles to control the visions."

"She had one while she was awake. All the others have been while she was asleep."

"The one during her awake time may have been real," Beast said. "The others may have been sent by parties unknown,"

"Logan," a weak voice came from the bed.

'Kate," he rushed over to her. "How are you feeling."

"Killer headache," she said. "I heard what Hank said. Who wants to control me?"

"I don't know darlin."

"Katherine," Beast said as he came into view. "Do you remember me?"

Kate looked up at him confused.

"I remember your voice but since when are you blue?"

"Long story," he said. "I'll tell you later. Tell me more about the visions."

"I've had visions since I was 13." she told him.

"Awake or asleep," he asked.

"Awake until this year. The sleeping visions started in May."

"Just before you left BioGen?" Logan asked.

"Yeah," She said.

"Well, that's the connection." Logan said. "What the hell do you know that has them so nervous?"

"Let her sleep Logan," Beast ordered. "We can find out when she feels better."

"No Dr. McCoy," Kate said. "I don't have a lot of time. It's going to take me a while to explain. I need a computer and the disc."

Xavier joined them to hear the explanation. It took her three hours just to go over the basics. The silence was deafening.

"Are you sure about you data?" Beast asked incredulously.

"Positive," she replied. "I was shocked when I ran the first set of numbers. I kept running them over and over. The test was developed by my mother to look for X factor. She was concerned about the number of children who grew up with no idea what to expect of how to control their powers. It was well before I was born. She presented the test as a way of detecting several fatal genetic abnormalities."

"And they went for this?" Storm asked.

"You don't understand. These conditions destroy families. Mother's younger brother died from one of them."

"When did the change occur?" Xavier asked.

"There were more initial positive tests than she expected. About ten years ago the data changed. There has not been a negative test in the past seven years. Every child born in the past seven years is X factor positive. That is why we're seeing such a huge increase in the number of mutants. In the next five years, it's going to get much worse. There aren't enough experienced people out there to help the next generation with controlling their powers. This could be a disaster of tremendous proportions. Without understanding and support, the world will self destruct in about two generations."

The stunned silence lasted too long. Logan became uncomfortable.

"How did you keep this out of the news?" he asked.

"There is only one lab that does the test." she explained. "I own it. When the positive tests outnumbered the negative, I altered the results. The parents got false results. I got the true ones. I kept an eye on the kids. If any of them showed signs of active powers, I contacted them. I put them in contact with another mutant with similar powers. I even wrote a program to track them. All of them were contacted around their thirteenth birthday. All were told what they were and who to contact to get help."

"You lied," he said flatly.

"I didn't want to Logan. If the political climate were different, I would have acted differently. I had to protect these kids. When BioGen hired me, I thought they could help them." tears began to trace their way down her cheeks. "I gave them the names. I sent those children to their deaths."

"Yes," he said. "You did."

"I need to come forward, tell the public what I did. I need to let the public know what will happen. I want to try and stop the destruction of our civilization. If that means I go to jail for the rest of my life, fine. I'll pay any price."

"How is that going to help?" Logan yelled. "The damage is already done. There hasn't been a human born for seven years."

"People have a biased impression of mutants. Less than one percent ever develop active powers. Most of those are very minor powers. The chance of any given child developing active powers is slim."

"We know that Kate," Xavier said. "We weren't aware that any one else knew. We need to discuss what you have told us. I'm not sure how much you should tell the public at this time."

He turned his chair around and headed for the door.

"We'll discuss this again when you are feeling better."

With that, he left, followed by Jean, Storm and Scott.

"Don't be too long Logan," Beast told him. "She needs rest." He turned to go to his office.

Logan sat on the side of the bed and took her hand. "Darlin, you know how to drop a bomb."

"I can't keep this back Logan. I had a vision last year that showed what was coming. There was a way to reduce the trauma but only if I acted quickly. The goons from BioGen had nothing to do with this. They just wanted to stop me from reporting the testing they were doing on mutants."

"You realize that you will become a target for every crackpot hate group in the world."

"I know."

I'm not sure I can protect you from all of them. You may be killed because of this."

She pulled him down to her lips and kissed him deeply.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked

He curled up on the bed and pulled her to him. She sighed and tucked herself into his arms and fell asleep.

His mind kept going over what she had said. He had been dealing with bigotry for most of his life and he knew the mindset of the population today. Her news could ignite and inferno that could burn for decades. He caught the difference she described between the active and inactive powers. The world will have a very small group of very advantaged people that will probably try to rule the others. Civil war will follow. It's no longer human against mutant. Now it's power against power and the nonpowered will be caught between them. 

Bamf.

"Wolverine," Nightcrawler called softly. "Professor Xavier wants to see all of us in the war room."

Logan nodded and slipped out of Kate's embrace. He kissed her softly on the forehead and left the unit, heading for the war room. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bamf, Nightcrawler appeared in the hall several feet ahead of Logan.

"Logan," he began, "What she said is frightening. She could be the one to bring us all down, just with words. I realize you care for her but what if the only thing we can do to keep the peace is eliminate her?"

"Touch her elf," Logan threatened, "and I'll kill ya." Six adamantium claws appeared.

"Logan, be reasonable." Kurt Wagner pleaded. "She could start a world war."

"She hasn't yet."

"But she may."

"It may not come to that. She sees the future. Maybe she's seen that everything will be alright."

"You don't believe that she's precognitive, do you?" Kurt asked, incredulous.

"I've seen too many things that are supposed to be impossible. Yeah, I believe her."

They entered the war room to find all of the healthy X Men scattered in chairs around the room. Charles Xavier was seated in his wheelchair in the center of the room. He waved Logan and Kurt to chairs and began the meeting. He told them what Kate had told the smaller group. Their reaction was similar to the earlier reaction in the medical unit. Disbelief and anger.

Regaining control of the room took some time. Xavier asked for suggestions from the group and he got an ear full starting with rechecking the data. Beast assured them that the data was good. He had been translating it for several hours and everything she claimed was supported by hard numbers. Another suggestion was to with hold the data until the political climate was more favorable. Xavier nixed that idea due to time constraints. It was Scott who voiced the idea of several of the X Men. Execute her for the safety of the general population.

Logan was across the room, claws out before anyone could stop him. He made it almost to Scott's throat when the telekinetic wall stopped him. Straining and snarling, he struggled to get through the bond.

"Logan," Jean cried. "Stop."

No one was brave enough to touch him in this state. He could easily kill everyone in the room.

"We will not kill anyone Scott," Professor Xavier said sternly. "I'm surprised that you would even think of such a thing."

Jean moaned, sweating.

"Logan," the Professor went on, "please sit down. I will not let anything happen to your friend."

Slowly, Logan relaxed. He glared at Scott with murder in his eyes. Scott slowly nodded and Logan turned and returned to his seat. Scott got the picture.

Jean, looking the worse for wear, smiled shakily at Logan.

"We'll find a way to deal with this Logan. I won't let anything happen to her either."

Logan knew he couldn't stay in the room while they discussed what to do about Kate. He bolted out of the door, quickly followed by Jean Gray.

"Logan," she called. "Wait."

Logan stopped without turning.

"I know you love her Logan but we do have to discuss all options. Scott was…"

"I know what he was doing, Jean," Logan said roughly. "He should be happy that I've found someone else."

"He is happy that you've found love Logan."

"He's not happy that she's human," Logan said softly. "That she's not a mutant."

Jean didn't reply.

"You know Jean," he said, "I've never been ashamed to be a mutant before. Now I am. I have never been more ashamed to be associated with a group that would harbor such bigotry."

He began to walk down the hall then stopped and turned to look a Jean for the first time. His face was bleak.

"Kate and I will be gone within the hour."

"Logan, it's not like that."

"Isn't it?" he demanded. "I've seen how you guys look at her. You act as if she were a snake that had every intention of biting you. You distrust and despise her because she's not a mutant. I can tell that Scott and every other man here feels his flesh crawl when they think about me sleeping with her and making love to her. She's a warm, caring human being and she has more kindness in her than the rest of you put together."

An alarm was sounding in the hall but Logan was too angry to hear it.

"I won't keep her here to be humiliated and belittled. We're leaving."

Jean could only stare at him astonished. He was right. They were treating her differently than they would treat a mutant.

The rush of bodies past them broke the spell and they became aware of the alarms. Beast ran past them yelling "Medical wing."

They found Kate enveloped in light. Logan ran toward the bed intending to lift Kate out of the light but was suddenly thrown across the room. He smashed into the wall with a thud and slid to the floor dazed.

"Force field," Beast said. "Anyone here doing that?"

No one spoke up.

"Hank," Storm called from the computer terminal, "The field is being generated by the chip but the signal is from outside the grounds."

"Professor," Beast called calmly. "Please turn on the psy dampeners in the building. Only the ones in the outside walls. Please do it quickly. She's not breathing."

The dampeners had a mental trigger Xavier could activate easily but they would have to be turned off manually. They blocked psychic attack from outside the school but the also blinded him from what was going on anywhere else. He lost his link with the world as soon as he activated them.

The force field died and Beast and Storm rushed to help Kate. They worked for an hour to stabilize her. As it was, she was not breathing on her own.

Logan watched from the door, afraid to touch her. She was intubated with machines taking over her body. His heart constricted in pain. She was dying and he couldn't stop it.

"You can come over, Logan," Storm told him. "She's stable right now."

She pulled up a chair by the bed and pushed him down into it.

"What happened. Ro?" he asked.

"Hank thinks the chip has active and inactive functions," She said. "One of the inactive functions is as a locator. One of the active functions appears to be some sort of crude mind control. The chip is in the wrong place to control behavior so it did the next best thing; it shut her brain off almost completely. She needs life support to survive right now. Hank and the Professor are trying to find a way to remove the chip without damaging her higher functions. It won't be easy. They placed it deep in her brain."

"Is she going to live?" he asked.

Storm hesitated. Logan was a good friend but she was fully aware of his temper.

"I need to know darlin," he said quietly.

"Were not sure," she replied. "Let us look at this thing a little closer and see what we can do."

As Storm walked away from the bed, Logan lowered his head to rest on Kate's belly. It rose and fell regularly as the ventilator sighed in the corner. Her skin was cool and clammy to the touch. He felt lost and alone.

The smell of sulpher and brimstone filled the room as Kurt arrived with a Bamf. Logan felt the warm hand of a friend on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, my friend," Kurt began. "God works in mysterious ways. It is not for us to question Him."

"God had little to do with this, elf," Logan told him. "I don't know who did but I'm gonna find him."

"You need a drink Logan," Kurt told him. "Come with me and we'll see if we can make you feel better."

"Not today." Logan said.

Kurt looked up to see Scott standing in the doorway. He felt a surge of fear. With Logan's mood right now, Scott was in serious danger right now. He felt Logan stiffen beside him as he became aware of Scott's presence.

"You'd better not come in here," Logan warned him.

"I wanted you to know what was discussed…"

"I don't give a damn what was said in that witch hunt of a meeting."

"Logan, we believe the only way to remove the chip is to remove the component parts one at a time. I hate to say this but there is only one man who has the slightest chance of success in this: Magneto."

Logan turned to him with scorn.

"First you want to kill her. Now you want to turn her over to my deadliest enemy. You surprise me Scott. I expected you to come in here and slit her throat."

"Logan, believe me, I know how you're feeling."

"Do ya now," Logan seethed

"When Jean was in her dark Phoenix phase, you urged me to kill her before she got too strong. I didn't want to even discuss it with you or anyone. But in the back of my mind, I knew you were right. She could have destroyed more than this world. She had to be stopped. In the back of your mind, you know that I'm right and it may come down to Kate's life or the life of everyone on this planet. You've done this before. I can't stand to see you that broken again. If it has to be, I will do it."

Scott turned and left.

He laid his head on Kate's belly and closed his eyes. He heard Kurt leave and Storm and Beast come in. He ignored them and for the first time in a long time, he prayed 


	10. Chapter 10

The next thing he knew, Xavier was shaking him awake.

"Logan," Xavier said "If you want her to live, you need to get Eric's help. Henry can't remove the chip without doing considerable damage to Kate's brain. Eric may be able to remove the micro circuitry that makes this thing work. Kurt knows how to get a hold of Mystique. She will be your first stop in helping Kate."

Logan looked up to find Nightcrawler nodding above him.

"I will take you to my mother Logan," Kurt told him. "She will pass the message along to Magneto."

"She said that Magneto would not help or hinder us but he did want Kate to deliver her information. It may not work." Logan told them.

"Logan," the professor said, "If Eric can't help then Kate will most likely die."

Logan agreed to ask Magneto for help. He wasn't optimistic about his chances of getting the megalomaniac to help. The last time they had been face to face, Logan nearly took his head off. People tend to remember things like that.

He was surprised, then, when Kurt bamfed into his room late that night and told him the meeting was set up for the next afternoon in New York City.

I was a strange meeting. Both sides posturing and occasionally threatening. No over move was made on either side but the situation was very tense.

"Are we going to stop trading insults and get on with the reason for this," Magneto demanded.

Logan looked at Kurt and shrugged.

"Kate Dempsey," he began, "We understand you are interested in making sure she presents her research to Congress. Is that true?"

"Ah yes," Magneto said thoughtfully, "Dr. Dempsey. Pretty thing, older than she appears. Much smarter than anyone can even imagine. Yes, I am interested in her. But I'm sure you're more interested than me Wolverine."

"She's being attacked even as we speak," Logan scowled.

"What are you doing here then. You should be protecting her."

"The attack in from a microchip that has been implanted in her brain. If it is not removed soon, she will die."

Magneto was surprised. He had heard that some labs implant chips in mutants to test their powers but he had never heard of anyone placing one in a human before.

"Who did this and why," he demanded.

"I don't know yet but I intend to find out," Logan said simply. "We need you to do something with the chip."

"Microchips are not metal Wolverine," Magneto instructed. "They're silicone. I have no power over them."

"No you don't," agreed Logan. "But the micro circuitry is metal and you can control them. All you need to do is remove enough of the connections to turn the chip off."

Magneto leaned back in the chair surprised. He hadn't thought Wolverine was smart enough to think up something like this.

"If I agree, what do I get?"

"If this thing goes the way Kate wants it to, you'll get your mutant utopia but naturally and without extensive loss of life."

"How do you know this'" Magneto asked?

"She knows more than anyone what will happen," Logan said. "She wants to stop the war from starting and Chuck thinks she can."

"Charles believes her, huh."

"So do I," Logan growled.

Magneto thought for a moment. "I will help," he said finally. "There is no guarantee that I can do anything, but I will try."

"That's all we ask," Logan told him.

"There will, of course, be no attempt to stop me from leaving once I have done what I came to do," he stated.

"You will be free to leave," Logan said, "As long as you behave."

"I will make no attempt to harm anyone during my visit," he promised.

Logan and Kurt looked at each other. That didn't mean that he wouldn't try something later.

"Your lackeys can't come with you," Logan told him

"Now wait a minute Wolverine…"

"We will protect you. They can't come."

Magnet looked closely at Logan, eyes narrowing. He weighed his options. Dr. Dempsey was very important to his cause, but he felt uncomfortable without Mystique and Sabertooth. He knew Wolverine was essentially an honest man, when he wanted to be. He was also quite capable of killing him, if he could surprise him.

"I agree," he said. "Just remember, if you try anything, you have metal bones. I will crush you."

"You have my word that I won't harm you during your visit." Logan promised with clenched teeth.

Magneto knew how much Wolverine hated to say this. Once his word was given, he would abide by it. It was all he needed.

"Let's go," he said as he stood up. Mystique grabbed his arm in protest.

"Eric," she whispered, "You can't be serious. You can't go with them without protection. You're walking into a trap."

"I don't think so, my dear. They need her alive as much as I do. Wolverine may be a killer, but he keeps his word. Don't follow," he ordered.

Mystique scowled at them as they left. This is not good, she thought. She was afraid for Eric but if she defied his order, he would kill her. She sighed in frustration and left the café.

The trip to Westchester was a long, tense drive. Logan was feeling more and more unsure of the deal he had struck with Magneto. He felt as if he had sold his soul to the devil. He didn't know what this would cost him, but he felt sure it would be pricey.

Professor Xavier met them as they came through the door. Eric could feel the psy-dampeners when he came in. It felt as if he had a cold, his head stuffy. It was an odd, uncomfortable feeling for him. He was no telepath and knew that Charles was feeling worse. He looked at his old friend. Charles looked pale and drawn.

"Charles," he greeted him, "You look terrible. How long have those things been on?"

"Eric," Charles smiled wanly. "It's good to see you again."

"You didn't answer my question, Charles. How long have you been like this?"

"I will be fine once the dampeners are turned off. Every time we try, Kate is badly affected. We need your help, Eric."

"And I am here to give you my help."

The front door crashed open. Standing on the porch was a pretty Asian girl in a yellow rain coat, her face a mask of rage.

"I thought I saw you," she snarled, raising her hands in front of her, a brightly colored ball of light in each palm.

"Jubes," Logan yelled. "No."

She released both balls and aimed them at Magneto. Logan was in no position to stop the plasma so he did the nest best thing, he knocked Magneto to the floor and covered him with his body. The plasma passed over the two prone men and splashed against the wall, blasting it to pieces. Hot plasma seared Logans' back. He rolled to his side, moaning in agony.

"Jubilee," Xavier said, "Magneto is here at my invitation. You will not attack again. Do I make myself clear?"

Jubilee looked at him, stunned. "How can you invite this bastard here? After all that he's done to us, you have the balls to call a truce? I can't believe you."

She glanced over at Magneto with venom in her eyes. Her gaze fell to Logan. His shirt was burned off his back, black burns visible He was shivering with pain and shock.

"Wolvie," she whispered. "Oh God. What have I done?"

Beast and Jean dropped to the floor beside him.

"Third degree burns," beast diagnosed quickly. "He's in shock."

"Logan," Jean call him.

"Jean?" he hissed. "Hurts."

"I know. I can't do anything about it until the dampeners are off."

"She didn't mean to hurt me, Jean."

"Wolvie." Jubilee knelt beside him. "I'm sorry." tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'll heal, darlin'" he told her.

Magneto got to his feet and looked at the girl with greater respect. He had always thought of Jubilee as Wolverines' weaker side-kick. Looks like the side-kick has learned a thing or two in the last few years. She was powerful.

Jean lifted Logan telekinetically and took him to the med lab, Jubilee trailing behind.

"Are you injured," Beast asked Magneto?

"A small burn on the back of my leg," he told the doctor. "Nothing serious."

"Come to the med lab later and I'll look at it," Beast instructed as he headed to the secret area of the school.

He felt Charles roll up beside him.

"Fine welcome," he said.

"Jubilee will never forgive you what you did to Wolverine," Charles told him. "She's very protective of him."

"Do you know what you have with her, Charles? She is powerful, and getting stronger as she ages. I suspect she is Alpha class now with the potential to become Omega in the next few years. You will need to treat her carefully."

Xavier looked thoughtfully at the retreating back of the petite firecracker. He had the same problem with Jubilee that Logan had; he still thought of her as a little girl. She was eighteen now and a woman. He needed to change his thinking and fast. If she had the potential that Eric thought she had, she will need intensive training to control her powers.

"Do you have a schematic of the chip?" Eric asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Kitty found what we think is a similar chip on line," Xavier told him distractedly. "We're not sure if it is identical to the one they used but it is a start."

"May I see it," Eric asked?

"Come to my office. I'll have Kitty show you what she found."

They retired to Xaviers' office. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Through the haze of pain, Logan could hear Jubilee talking. He didn't understand the words, but just hearing her voice was comforting. As long as he heard her rambling, he was alive and she was near him. He heard Jeans' voice as she replace the cool, wet dressings on his back. His healing factor had kicked in and the muscle and skin was regenerating. Unfortunately, his healing factor did nothing for the pain. If anything, it increased it. The compressed healing also meant compressed pain. He knew he would feel better in a day or two but that was little consolation. The worse part was that because of the healing factor, pain medication didn't work on him. He eliminated it as soon as it hit his blood stream. He would have to endure the agony.

In a few hours, new pink skin had covered the burns on hid back and the pain had diminished to nearly tolerable. He was allowed to roll over to his back and drink some water. He knew from other burns that he would be very thirsty for days. He had lost a lot of fluid with the burns. Beast had inserted an IV to supplement his fluids but that would be gone tomorrow.

Jubilee was still at his side, holding his hand and apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Wolvie," she said, crying.

"It's okay, darlin'" he told her, stroking her hair. "I needed to be here anyway."

She looked at him, her eyes full of self loathing.

"Come here," he held his arms open. "Climb in."

She looked over at Beast, who was busy with a woman she had never seen before. She sighed and climbed into the bed and Wolverines' arms. She always felt safe here. Wolvie could keep all her fears at bay. She snuggled into his embrace.

"I know you would never hurt me on purpose, Jubes," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Why is he here?"

"He's here to help this lady here," he indicated the woman in the next bed with his head.

"Who is she?"

Kate Dempsey," he told her. "She has information on a lab in California that has been doing some bad things to mutants. She wants it stopped."

"What's her power," Jubilee asked, assuming she was a mutant.

"No mutant power. She's human."

Jubilees' head popped up, astonished. She looked at the woman, the at Logan. He smiled and nodded.

"A human who wants to help," he chuckled. "Different, huh?"

"What happened to her?"

"Someone implanted a chip in her brain that is killing her. Magneto is going to try to deactivate it."

At the mention of Magneto, Jubilees' face became thunderous.

"I hate him," she said with gritted teeth. "He nearly killed you when he pulled the adamantium out of your body."

"I don't like him much, myself, kid, but he may be the only one who can save Kates' life."

Jubilee heard the loving tone he used when he spoke Kates' name with a sinking heart. He was in love with her. Jubilee nearly cried. The last time she had heard him speak in that tone was when he was with Mariko. She had lost him. 

For as long as she could remember, she had loved her Wolvie. At first, it had been as the man who had saved her from a life on the streets. It had gradually gone from the love of mentor and father figure to the love as a man. He still thought of her as a child, even at eighteen. Her chance to make him see her as a woman was gone.

"I gotta go, Wolvie," she said, jumping off the bed. "See ya later."

She ran out of the med bay. Eyes aching from unshed tears, she ran to her room and threw herself on the bed. She kept running the conversation over and over in her head. Logans' tone kept coming back to her. He loved her.

"Oh God," she cried, "Why did I come back?" She gave in to the tears that gathered behind her eyes.

She lost track of time as she wept for her lost chance with the man she loved. She was so lost in her grief that she didn't realize she wasn't alone until a hand stroked her head. Startled, she jumped back, nearly falling off the bed.

"Careful Jubes," Bobby cautioned her.

"Bobby," she growled, "Don't you ever knock?"

"I did," he told her, looking closely at her. "You were too…distracted to answer."

Jubilee studied her hands with great interest. She didn't want Bobby to see how upset she was.

"Jubes," he said quietly "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She said, putting on her happy face.

"Bullshit," Bobby replied. "I know you. I know when you're upset and trying to hide it. You can't lie to me, Jubes."

She continued to study her hands, fascinated.

He lifted her head and looked into her eyes. "Is this about Kate Dempsey?"

Tears traces their way down her cheeks again.

"He loves her," she cried. "He doesn't see me as anything other than a pesky kid. I'm eighteen. I'm not a kid anymore. Why can't he see that? Why can't he love me?"

Bobby knew this was coming. He had been in her position. He knew what it was like to be the youngest member of the team. No one could see you as an adult until you forced the issue. He knew she was grown up but she wasn't old enough for a relationship with Wolverine yet.

"Sweetie," he began, " You have to realize that Logan raised you. I know he doesn't see you as a daughter but he still needs time to see you as a woman. You're still a little too young for him. Give him time to see what you really are before you give up."

"Oh," she said, angry "You think I'm a kid too. Well that's just fine. I thought you were my friend."

"I don't see you as a kid, Jubes. You're ready to join the team. I just think you're too young for Wolverine. He goes for women in their twenties. Give him time. You will get older, he won't. You still have a chance."

"What if he marries this Kate?"

"That's the chance we all take kiddo. I don't think he will. She doesn't seem like his type."

"She's beautiful, smart and has huge boobs. Come on, Bobby. Wolvie can't see beyond the tits."

"Boy, do you have a low opinion of him," he remarked. "Don't worry. Hank says she's a brain. Logan is going to have a hard time understanding her. She seems more Hanks' style."

Jubilee snickered. "Can you imagine what her pillow talk would be?"

"Yeah," Bobby smiled, "The periodic table or quantum equations or if she really gets going, nuclear mechanics."

By then, Jubilee was laughing.

"Thanks Bobster," she said laughing. "You're a real friend."

"Anything for you, Jubes." he said getting up. "Cyke says you need to help him fix the wall you blew up. He was impressed at your power."

"I'll go see him." She went into the bathroom to wash the evidence of her tears away as Bobby left. 


	12. Chapter 12

The Beginning of the End - Chapter 12

Thanks to all who reviewed the last 11 chapters. I had problems when uploading originally and several chapters went missing. I have fixed the problem and now the story makes more sense.

Disclaimers: Usual stuff. I'm not Marvel in any sense of the word. I don't own em but my birthday is coming up. I wouldn't object to a gift wrapped Wolvie showing up at my door (Hint, hint, hint).

Chapter 12

Xavier and Magneto had been staring at the monitor for hours, looking at the schematic of the chip. Neither was hopeful for a positive outcome. It was extremely complex with configurations that both were unfamiliar with.

"I'm sorry, Charles," Magneto sighed, defeated, "The only circuit I recognize is this one, the locator circuit".

"Can you disable it?" Charles asked hopefully.

"To remove the rest of the wiring, I have to hold on to something. I would prefer to hold on to a part of the chip that is known rather risk an unknown. I have excellent control, but these connections are microscopic. I will have to leave the locator intact."

"What about a small electromagnetic pulse to destroy that part of the chip?"

"A pulse that close to the brain stem could easily kill her. I won't risk it."

Charles leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his steep led fingertips. "I wish I could get a hold of Kitty. She could phase her hand through Kates' head and deactivate the chip."

"Where is she?" Magneto asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "She and Logan had a loud argument after he told her he was going to ask you for help. She left with most of her belongings and hasn't been seen since. I'm afraid this situation has torn apart a very close family. I'm not sure if they will ever be the same."

"Families change, Charles," Eric said. "Both of the children Wolverine has taken in have grown and now have opinions of their own. That's the price of fatherhood. They are both young women now and their views of life won't necessarily match his."

A knock at the door interrupted them. The door opened to admit Jean carrying a tea tray with another tray following behind her.

"Dinner, gentlemen," she announced, placing the trays on the desk. "Hank wants to discuss exit routes for the wires before you do this. He wants to minimize the damage you will have to do."

"Thank you, Jean," Xavier told her. "We will meet with Beast after dinner."

"I'll let him know," Jean said as she left the room.

She closed the door and leaned against it, shaking her head, trying to clear the congestion. The dampeners have been on for five days now and she was feeling awful. Snow and cold had kept the residents indoors the whole time and several of the students were unable to attend class sue to the constant psychic buzzing and congestion. The Professor was looking worse every day. They needed to get out of the range of the dampeners soon.

She felt a hand touch her arm. Looking up, she saw her husband standing before her with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I will be, as soon as those awful things are turned off," she said, testily. "I feel as if I'm in a box. I know they aren't a torture device, but they could be. It's not total sensory deprivation, but it's close."

"It won't be for much longer," he told her, pulling her into his arms. "Why don't we go out to dinner and get away from them."

"I don't know, Scott," she started.

"Dinner out and a hotel room for the night," he pleaded. "That way, you can be as loud as you want."

"I'm not loud," she protested.

"You're a screamer, Sweetheart," he told her. "I wouldn't have it any other way. It's an incredible turn on."

He ran his tongue, lightly down her neck as he brushed a nipple with his hand. It hardened, instantly. He kissed her lightly, teasing her. His hand slipped under her sweater to caress her breast above her bra. He kissed her, fully, tongues thrusting, tasting. He became bolder, his fingers slipping inside her bra, rolling the tortured nipple.

"Dinner and hot sex," he promised. "No kids, knocking of the door. No Professor, no Magneto. Just the two of us and a king sized bed."

"Get a room, you two," Jubilee interrupted as she came down the stairs. "This is a no groping zone."

Jean jumped and looked down at her feet, embarrassed. Scott sighed and slowly withdrew his hand, stroking her side as he went. He reached up and patted the treasured breast and stepped away from her. Jeans' knees trembled with desire, her cheeks red.

"Jubilee agrees with me," his voice deep with longing.

"You guys going out?" she asked. "The Milton has nice rooms with big beds."

"Jubilee," Scott warned.

"Sorry, not my business," she said, unrepentant. "But it's a great place and the room service is to die for."

"And just how would you know, young lady," he demanded.

"Um, yeah," she said as she sidled toward the dining room door. "Wolvie told me," she yelled as she made her escape.

"Please tell me that one's on the pill," Scott begged, banging his head on the wall.

"They all are," Jean told him. "We can't stop them from experimenting. All we can do is advise."

"Better not let Wolverine know she knows about the Milton," he said, cringing. "I wouldn't want to be the boy who took her there when he finds out.

"Let's pack an overnight bag and go," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards their room. 


	13. Chapter 13

The Beginning of the End - Chapter 13

Kudos to all who read the last 12 chapters. This is my first fanfic and I'm having a ball. This story is the kind that won't let me sleep. Ideas keep popping up at odd times like driving my kid to school or in the shower. My muse is kinda sadistic.

Disclaimers: Not mine. Never were mine. Never will be mine. (damn) Not making any money from them.

Chapter 13

The blue glow from the med lab office drew Logans' attention away from Kate. He heard the rumble of voices from across the room. With the door closed, he could only hear the odd word, even though they were talking in whispers. He got out of his bed painfully and crossed the room to the office, dragging the IV pole along behind him like a reluctant puppy. He opened the door and poked his head in.

"If yer discussin' Kate, I want a say," he told the three men in the room.

"Logan," Beast protested. "You shouldn't be out of bed. Your epidermis has just healed. I am sure your musculature and nerve tissues have not had enough time to regenerate."

"I'm fine," he told him. "I brought along this stupid IV for ya so don't bitch. Like I said, if yer discussin' Kate, I want a say."

"Wolverine is our resident patient from hell," Beast remarked to Magneto.

"Obviously," replied Magneto

Logan just growled.

"We were discussing withdrawal routes for the wires, Logan," Xavier to him. "We need to minimize the damage their removal will cause to Kates' brain."

"What do you mean 'minimize'?" Wolverine growled. "Can't you take them out without causing more damage?"

"Unfortunately, no," Magneto sighed. "Even small wires such as these will cause damage as I remove them and if I disconnect them and leave them, they could migrate and cause even more problems down the road. They will have to go. The trick will be reducing the damage to an acceptable level. It would be much better if we had a micro-teleporter. I'm sure that's the way it was placed initially."

"It appears that the best routes are the ones indicated here," Beast told them, pointing to the three dimensional scan of Kates' brain. "This way, we can expect some behavioral problems and memory access difficulties but no blindness, hearing problems or seizures. I believe this is the safest way to proceed."

Logan was no longer paying attention. He was staring at the scan of Kates' head with the bio chip deep in her brain, like a manmade cancer. His rage at the person responsible was growing stronger every minute.

"Logan," Xavier called for the third time.

"What?" Logan growled.

"Go back to bed," Xavier ordered. "We will find the ones responsible later. We need to take care of Kate first."

Logan stared at the scan, a low rumble coming from his throat. Suddenly, he turned and left the room, taking his IV pole with him.

The room was quiet for a moment before Magneto remarked "Passionate, isn't he?"

"Logan is passionate in all his emotions," Beast replied. "Love and hate included."

A monitor alarm sounded as soon as Logan reached Kates' bed, drawing the three from the office. Beast immediately checked the monitors and silenced the alarm.

"We have to do it now," Beast told them. "Her heart isn't going to last the night."

"Logan," Xavier said. "You will have to leave. Your metal skeleton will interfere."

Logan nodded. Kissing Kates' forehead, he brushed the hair off her face. Saying a quick prayer, he turned and left the med lab.

Somehow, he found himself at the door to the Danger Room. The lights were off indicating that no one was using it. Slamming his hand on the panel, the door swooshed open and he went in, the IV pole trailing behind.

"Computer," he said to the air. "Load 'Wolverine scenario 227, level 10, safeties off."

"Unable to comply," was the reply.

"What? Why can't ya load my program?"

"Code name Wolverine is presently listed as injured. Access will be returned when certified for combat by Dr. Henry McCoy."

"Listen ya bucket of bolts," he began.

"No use arguing with the computer, Wolvie," Jubilee said behind him.

"Hi, darlin'. Load the program for me, will ya.?"

"Sorry, no. I promised Beast I would keep an eye on ya, that includes not letting ya use the Danger Room before you're ready."

Everyone was conspiring against him, he thought.

"Come on, Jubes. I know you can do it. You've been using my scenarios for years. Just load one so I can get some of this anger outta me."

"Not on your like, bub. You were an over cooked pork roast less that twelve hours ago. I'm not about to screw up your recovery by letting you over do it. I know you. You'll be in here for hours with the safeties off, getting cut up. Your healing factor has enough to deal with as it is."

"I gotta get this outta me or I'll explode."

Jubilee smiled, cheekily. She went over to the control panel and keyed in a few numbers. Suddenly, the walls of the Danger Room faded and he found himself on a beach at twilight. Palm trees swayed in the tropical breeze. The surf lapped at the shore with a soothing rhythm. Two Beach chairs appeared in the sand.

"This is familiar, Jubes," he remarked. "Where is this?"

"Trunk Bay, US Virgin Islands," She told him, picking up the present she brought him. She opened it and pulled out two bottles of beer. Handing him one, she opened the other and took a long pull. "Well, aren't you going to open yours?"

"Jubilation Lee, yer a gal after my own heart," he said smiling.

"Don't you forget it," she replied as she sat down.

He opened his beer and sat down in the beach chair. It had been a long time since he had just sat and had a beer with his best gal. They sat for hours, talking. He learned what she had been doing for the past two years at school and about her dreams of college. She learned about the battles she had missed while at school, and his fear that Kate might die.

When Xavier found them, Jubilee was asleep and Logan was feeling much calmer.

"We were successful," Xavier told him. "She's breathing on her own and in a normal sleep. She should awake tomorrow. Why don't you go in and see her?"

He shook Jubilee awake. "Jubes, I'm going to the med lab. You should go to bed."

Jubilee stretched and got up. "Did it work?"

"Looks good so far," Logan told her. "We'll see when she wakes up tomorrow." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "Thanks, kid. I needed you here tonight."

He kissed the top of her head and left the Danger Room.

"Thank you for helping, Jubilee," Xavier said, softly.

"Glad to be of service," she quipped. "I don't get the chance anymore to just talk to him."

"I think you needed this as much as he did. He missed you, terribly."

"I know," she said, quietly. " I missed him too."

"Hank is not going to be too happy about the beer, however."

"It was either beer or let him tear up the Danger Room again. I took the lesser of two evils."

"Computer, end program." Xavier said in a louder voice. The Beach faded and the metal walls reappeared. Beer bottles were scattered across the room, a testament to the night.

"Clean up the bottles and go to bed," Xavier told her. "Scott has an early session scheduled."

"He won't make it," she snickered, picking up bottles from the floor. "He and Jean are taking a night off at a local motel. I'm willing to bet that they won't be back before eight."

"I'll see you in the morning," Xavier beat a hasty retreat before she could offer more information.

"And they'll be walking kinda funny," she said in a low, happy voice. She loved it when her family was happy. 


	14. Chapter 14

The Beginning of the End - Chapter 14

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed my work I'm still having a ball writing this story. I think Logan and Kate visit me in my dreams and bug me until I get the next installment down. Most of this is written in the middle of the night.

Disclaimers: All characters that are familiar belong to Marvel. The rest belong to me.

Feed back is always appreciated.

Chapter 14

Logan found himself wide awake very suddenly. He rolled over to jump from his bed. Too bad it wasn't his bed but a narrow cot in the med bay. He landed flat on his face on the cold tile with claws extended, ready to fight. Leaping to his feet, he checked the room for threats but found none. Confused, he retracted his claws and scratched his head. Hearing a small gasp from the next bed, he whirled around.

Oh, shit, he thought

A whimper of pain pulled him to the bedside.

"Kate," he whispered. "Darlin', wake up."

"Sick," she whimpered.

He quickly rolled her to her side and grabbed the trash can. He held her as she heaved.

"Hank," he hollered. "Get in here." His loud tone caused her to moan in pain.

"Nauseous?" Hank asked in a low voice.

"Yeah," Logan replied. "And in pain. More pain than nausea from the smell of it."

:I'll take care of both," Hank told him as he went to the table next to the bed. He removed two vials from a drawer along with a syringe. Drawing a measure from each vial, he injected it into the IV line going into her chest. The relief was fast. The heaving stopped and she relaxed and opened her eyes.

"Logan," she sighed.

"I'm here," he replied. "What can I do fer ya?"

"Kill the guy hitting my head with the hammer." she asked him as her eyes closed.

The next few days passed in a haze of pain for Kate. Logan healed and was returned to duty fairly quickly. Even though he was well, he found himself in the med lab often just to keep Kate company until one day she blew up at him.

"God dammit, Logan," she yelled. "Leave me the fuck alone. You're driving me crazy."

Logan beat a hasty but confused retreat. He wasn't sure what the problem was. He had been trying to help her regain her strength. He had developed a plan of exercise and weight training that should have had her back to normal in a couple of weeks. Almost as soon as he started discussing his plan, she started to yell at him. He needed to discuss this with someone he could trust.

"Jubilee," he called, knocking on her door.

"Hey, Wolvie," she said as she opened the door.

"Can I talk to ya?" he asked.

"Ya, sure," she said, inviting him in. Flopping on the bed, she motioned him to the bottom of the mattress. "So, spill."

"Jubes, you've been hurt a few times," he began.

"More than a few," she said, dryly.

"Yeah, well, more than a few," he agreed. "Am I such a lousy visitor that ya wanted me to leave?"

"Kate throw ya out?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"You're not the calmest person I know by a long shot. Ya tend to be abrasive but that's just your way. I wouldn't have ya any other way but I've known ya a long time. Kate hasn't known ya long enough to see how ya are when someone ya love is hurt. The more hurt that someone is, the more gruff and angry ya get. I know that, she doesn't. She was hurt bad, Logan. I think ya scared her with your behavior since she woke up. Try calming down and see what happens. If she loves ya, she'll come around."

He looked at her with new respect. "How did ya get so wise?"

"I grew up, Logan," she said softly. "I'm not a little girl any more."

"I can see that, darlin'" he said. "I'm not blind. You've turned into a beautiful, young woman and I couldn't be prouder."

"Thanks Wolvie."

"So, how do I get Kate to exercise so she can get her strength back?"

"Don't forget she's human, Wolvie. She won't heal as fast as a mutant. Give her another day then take her to the Danger Room for a very light workout. Ya gotta go slower with her than ya would with me. I'll help ya as much as I can between classes."

"Classes," he asked, surprised. "What classes?"

"I'm starting some classes at the community college next week. I'm gonna ask Hank for a letter of recommendation for Columbia."

"Damn, Jubes," he said in awe. "Ya are grown up."

"Go get your workout, Logan. I'll visit Kate for a while."

Logan was right about the amount of time she needed to return to her normal strength. In two weeks, she was doing her normal workout with little difficulty. The only problems she had were the predictable ones. Her temper tended to be short. Logan bore the brunt of her ire mostly because she wasn't comfortable around the others to let loose. She also had problems accessing her memories. This was the most frustrating part of her recovery. Words didn't come as easily as they used to and she occasionally would use the wrong word, unable to bring the correct word to her tongue.

Jubilee was central to her cognitive recovery. She was much more patient than any of the others when Kate would struggle for the word she was looking for. Jubes showed her that keeping a journal would help her to express her feelings and increase her word power.

Jubilee started a game that most of the mansion joined in on. A word of the day was chosen by the group every day and everyone had to use the word in a sentence at least one that day. They quickly had to increase the difficulty of the words to keep Kate interested. I was hard to challenge a woman who had five PhD's and she quickly became bored if the words were too easy. Logan dropped out after the first week in defeat but Jubilee rose to the challenge. She was often seen with her nose in the dictionary and a notebook composing sentences. It became a friendly was between Kate and Jubilee with Professor Xavier deciding the victor of the day. Kates' sentence must be spoken and Jubilees' must be written with correct grammar. With these restrictions, they were evenly matched. A fast friendship was formed between them. 


	15. Chapter 15

The Beginning if the End - Chapter 15

Disclaimers: I don't own the X Men. I am not making any money from them. Thanks to Marvel for being understanding about us using their creations.

Chapter 15

Kate had been at the mansion for four months. It was now April and time was running short. She knew that she must finish what she needed to do soon. She had an idea that could me beneficial to all mutants but she would need access to a computer. With that in mind, she approached Professor Xavier in his office.

"Professor," she began. "I have an idea that could disrupt the FOH for years down the line but I need your permission and computer access."

"What do you have in mind?" he asked. His eyes narrowed, the widened in disbelief as she told him of her plan.

"What makes you think you can get into their computers to carry off this plan?"

"The FOH," she explained, "Like all large organizations, uses security software to protect itself from hackers. Most of the larger business use a version of a program that I wrote fifteen years ago. I have continued to update the most effective of those programs all along. Last year, I offered a new version to everyone that had been using the older versions. I built a 'back door' into the new version. Any system running the new version is open to me by that back door."

"The FOH is using the new program," it was not a question.

"Yep," she stated with a smile. "Large organizations are dependant on their computers for everything. I plan to strike at the heart of the matter and move their money around."

"No one will get hurt?" he asked.

"The only thing that will get hurt will be their credit rating," she promised.

"How will you cover your tracks?" he asked.

"I'm not worried about that," she said. "If S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't caught me after all these years, the FOH doesn't have a prayer."

You've been in the S.H.I.E.L.D. computers?" he asked, astonished.

"I've been there so often I have my own password," she told him. "I prefer to stay informed."

"And you've never been caught?"

"Never."

"Very well," he said. "You have my permission and access to the War Room computer."

"Thanks," she replied.

"Professor, why don't you have human students here?"

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, startled.

"Why do you hide here?" she asked.

"I provide a safe haven for mutants who need it. We aren't hiding."

"Yes," she told him, gently, "You are. You preach peaceful coexistence but you segregate yourselves from the normal world. You don't allow the normal population to see just how mundane your lives are. We normal humans see your lives as glamorous, super powered adventures. It's not that way. You still have to do the dishes, walk the dog, clean the toilet and other ordinary chores that the rest of us have to do. You have locked yourselves away from the rest of the world. We have no choice but to imagine what your lives are like. You need to present the reality to dispel the rumors."

In a lot of ways, he agreed with her. They did segregate themselves but only for the safety of both sides.

"We need a safe place to learn to control our powers," he explained. "A young mutant with emerging powers is a danger to everyone. We allow them to develop their powers in safety."

"I agree that emerging powers need supervision, Charles. I don't agree with total isolation. 'Brown vs. Board of Education' outlawed segregation in all forms. I think you'll find that genetic segregation will be covered by that ruling. You are raising a generation of mutants that won't know how to interact with normal humans. It's going to blow up in your face eventually."

She got up and opened the door to leave. As she went through the door, she paused and turned back.

"Think about what I have said," she instructed. "I can force the issue with legal action if necessary but I don't think I will need to. I'm going to get started on my project."

He watched the door close behind her, deep in thought. She could easily destroy everything he has built with one lawsuit. He knew that she would win the suit if she ever brought it to the courts. No one has ever successfully challenged the landmark ruling and Xavier doubted anyone ever would. He needed to discuss this with Emma and Sean. They had attempted to intragrate humans into the Academy once with very limited success. Maybe it was time to try again.

Kate stopped off at her room and picked up her Discman before going to the War Room. She always worked better when she had music to soothe her mind. Slipping a CD into the player, she went to work, taking apart the FOH at the seams.

Getting into the FOH system was easy but the financial files were convoluted and confusing. She decided to scrape up all the money and redistribute it to other, more deserving organizations. She would, later, write a program to deal with the incoming donations. She pulled the banks and account numbers from the system with care. She didn't need to set off any alarms yet.

The banks were where she had the most difficulty. Some of them had firewalls that she was unfamiliar with and she needed to get in without being detected. She was working on this when Gambit came home.

He discovered her in the War Room, standing in front of the computer, swaying to the music on her CD. He appreciated the movements of her leather covered bottom but he was positive she didn't belong in the War Room with an active computer terminal. He grabbed her, trapping her arms at her side. What happened next, even his quick reflexes couldn't prevent.

Kate found herself restrained from behind and did exactly as she had been taught. Reaching behind her, she grabbed his crotch and gave a viscous squeeze and twist. She was immediately released. Stepping aside, she turned and brought her foot up and gave her attacker a ringing blow to the side of his head with a booted foot. He fell like a rock to the floor.

The fire in his crotch and head spread to every part of his body. Gambit, being a man, did what most men do when their balls are racked; he vomited. He was in so much pain, he didn't feel the sharp kicks she was giving his back as he gagged and moaned. He heard the screeching of an angry woman but he didn't understand the words. He felt the crazy woman being lifted away from him as the room filled with people.

"Kate, calm down and tell me what happened," Logan yelled as he carried her to the hall.

"Son of a bitch grabbed me from behind," she ranted. "You'd think he'd know better, living here but no. He had to so something stupid. He knows everyone here is highly trained and he still did it. How dumb can you get? What the hell are you smiling at?"

"You," he said. "You just took down a very powerful mutant all on your own. You taught him a lesson he won't forget. Ya done good, Kate."

They watched as Gambit was carried from the War Room.

"Idiot," she told him.

"Bitch," he replied, gasping.

"Kate Dempsey," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you."

"Remy LaBeau," he said. "Can't say the same."

"Ice," she told Hank. "Both ends. He'll be fine in a couple of days."

The assembled X Men looked at her with new respect as Gambit was taken to the med lab.

"What?" she asked. "He did something stupid and now he's paying for it. I didn't kill him but I could have. I figured he belonged here so I didn't do any lasting damage."

The X Men left, shaking their heads in wonder. Jubilee and Logan remained behind.

"What did ya do to Gambit?" Jubilee asked in awe.

"Testicular torsion and a round house kick to the head," Kate told her.

"Testicular what?" she asked.

"I gave his left testicle and squeeze and twist," Kate explained. "Very effective if you're grabbed from behind."

Logan winced in sympathy. That had to hurt.

"Rad," Jubilee said, impressed. "Can ya teach me? Wolvie won't teach me any dirty tricks."

"Sure Jubes," she said. "I need to finish what I was doing first but if you'll meet me in the Danger Room after your morning class tomorrow, I'll show you a few things that I'm sure Logan doesn't want you to know."

"Great," Jubilee called as she ran down the hall to the elevators. "See ya tomorrow."

"Kate," Logan said. "There's a reason I didn't teach her those things. I don't want her to use em on me."

"Logan," she said. "Jubilee is a beautiful young woman. If she hasn't been raped yet, she will be in the future. What I can teach her can prevent that from happening."

"What do ya mean 'yet'"

"She was on her own for three years before you met her. She was a pretty child. I'm sure she didn't go unnoticed. Her skills are awesome now. She just needs to learn a few tricks for dealing with a lust crazed, determined man."

With that statement, she returned to the War Room to work.

He had to talk to Jubilee. What Kate said made a lot of sense but it was a subject that he didn't want to think about. With Kate teaching Jubes all her dirty tricks, he had to confront the subject and his own feelings about her past. He had never asked too much about her life on the streets and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know now. Jubilee was very closed about her life before meeting him.

The more he thought about it, the bigger the lump in his stomach grew. He had to know, if only to help Jubilee get over the trauma.

He found her in the kitchen, rooting through the refrigerator.

"Hey Wolvie," she said. "Want a snack?"

"Not right now, darlin'" he told her. "Jubes, Kate got me at thinking about what happened to ya before ya pulled me off that cross."

"Yeah?" she asked suspiciously.

"Before ya met me," he asked reluctantly. "Where ya….raped?"

She paled and dropped the tomato she was holding. "How did you find out?" she whispered.

"Oh God, Jubes," he said gathering her into his arms. "I didn't. Kate said ya probably had been. Why didn't ya tell me? I would have taught ya to defend yourself differently."

"I couldn't trust you at first. By the time I did trust you, it wasn't an issue anymore."

"Rape is always an issue," he said softly. "Never think I don't care. You're the most important person in my life. I would give anything for it not to have happened, but it did. We have to deal with it. If ya let something like rape fester, it'll eat away yer soul."

He lifted her chi with a finger and looked into her eyes. "Ya gotta talk about it before it destroys ya."

"I was my last foster father," she began. "He would come into my room every night. At first, it was just to watch me sleep. He didn't think I knew he was there but I did. Then, he began touching me. I tried to tell my foster mother but she didn't believe me. She would punish me for telling lies. Usually she beat me but sometimes she would lock me in a closet. When he started ..well, you know, I went to my case worker. That night, they took turns hitting me. I left the next morning."

Logans' heart was breaking. Most of her childhood was dominated by violence and torture. How could a person entrusted with the life of a child be so cruel? That she survived was amazing. That she didn't have major mental problems was astounding. That she trusted him enough to cuddle in his arms was the most amazing thing he'd every known. With her history, she should have refused to allow any man to touch her much less love her. He felt humbled by her strength.

(Logan, why is Jubilee so distressed?) Jeans' mental voice asked.

(A boil that needed to be lanced, Jeannie. She'll be fine) he replied.

"Any other times, darlin'?" he asked.

She began to tremble, her breathing rapid. This was a much more recent trauma.

"Jubes?"

"Bastian," she whispered.

He pulled her close again, his tears falling into her hair. Bastian was his biggest failure to her. She was missing for a month and he didn't know it. It was only due to circumstances that he found her, wandering in the desert after she freed herself from the compound. He still beats himself up every day for that failure.

(Logan) Jean interrupted. (You'd better stop. She's not taking this well.)

(I'm not taking it well myself.) he told her.

"If yer not ready to talk about it, I understand." he told her softly. "I can wait till yer ready."

"I'm not," she said. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Sure thing, darlin'" he said as he released her, wiping the tears from her face.

"I love ya, Jubes," he told her as he kissed her cheek.

"Love ya too, Wolvie. Thanks for listening." She ran out of the kitchen quickly.

Logan spent the rest of the day beating the crap out of the robots in the Danger Room until he could barely stand up any longer. 


	16. Chapter 16

The Beginning of the End - Chapter 16

Disclaimers: Usual stuff, don't own em, wish I did, you know the drill.

Chapter 16

Gambit found himself doing extra time in the Danger Room for his lapse in judgment in the War Room. Scott was furious that he had allowed a non powered woman get the best of him. Logan couldn't stop laughing every time he saw Remy in the halls. Jubilee learned all kinds of dirty tricks for dealing with rapists and Logan found that he agreed with what Kate was teaching her. Learning to deal harshly with larger and stronger men was important because, as a beautiful woman, she was already a target. If she were to reveal that she was also a mutant, she would become an irresistible target.

Charles pulled some strings and got her a slot to speak to joint session of Congress on May 6th. As the date approached, she began to make final plans. The mutant rights group, HALO was having a rally the same day in Washington, DC. She made arraignments to speak at the rally after her Congressional speech. She spent the entire day on the 4th with Charles in his study. Neither Kate nor Charles would discuss what they talked about but Storm remarked that he looked upset. Jean noticed that his shields were unusually strong after talking with Kate.

She spent the day of the 5th playing. A Softball game broke out in the early afternoon. Remy refused to play on the same team as Kate and she could understand why. Logan continued to snigger every time he saw Remy and the girls kept asking him if he still slept with and ice pack. His sex life was suffering, badly from the whole incident.

Later, after the softball game, she locked herself in her room and began to write. This was one of the last things she needed to do before tomorrow. The letters would explain everything.

That night, after she fell asleep in Logans arms, the nagging disquiet he had been feeling all day returned. She had been affectionate and wild in bed tonight. It had been a while since they had been so wild. He blamed himself. Ever since the chip was removed, he had been treating her like she was made of glass. He was afraid that any aggression on his part would hurt her so he had reined himself in. She had made it clear that she was not happy with his treatment of her several weeks ago. Most of the mansion had to have heard their argument but no one had remarked on it.

He awoke on the morning of the 6th with a feeling of impending doom that he couldn't shake. He begged her not to go but she refused.

"I won't get another chance, Logan," she told him. "Everything will be fine."

"I have a real bad feeling about this, darlin'"

"Don't worry," she told him as she kissed him softly on the lips. "Everything will go as planned."

They took the Blackbird II to Washington. It was the only craft that could fit all of team. They didn't expect trouble on this trip but they felt the needed to show their support for Kate. They dressed in civies to keep from looking like a military unit and scaring the crowd.

Her speech before Congress was straight and too the point. She gave them the data she had been collecting for over two decades. She and Charles had decided not to inform the Congress of the mutant birth rate for the past seven years. They didn't think the world was ready for that kind of information. She answered many questions about her numbers and agreed that an independent study was needed. She insisted that all participants be volunteers and their anonymity be guaranteed. She also requested that testing on mutants against their will be classified as a felony and violators be prosecuted. She insisted that mutants be granted the same rights as any other citizen and until their rights were secured, she would not disclose her data.

"You do realize, young lady, that we can compel you to testify?" Senator Benson remarked.

"I'm aware of that, Senator," she relied. "But it would be several years before you could place it on the schedule. By that time, it may be a moot point."

She answered several more questions and left the House chambers to rejoin the X Men.

"That didn't go very well," Rogue complained.

"I wasn't expecting it to go well, Rogue," Kate told her. "The real reason I'm here is the rally. People change the world, not politicians."

"You don't count politicians as people?" Bobby asked.

"I don't consider politicians human," she said, dryly.

The rally was at the Washington Monument. As they made their way toward the crowd, Kate caught sight of Magneto near the reflecting pool. She asked the team to find places near the front and wait for her there. Logan didn't want her to wander off by herself but she insisted she needed tome alone to clear her head. She asked him and Jubilee to be with her on the podium and they both agreed. She told them where to wait for her and left them to make their way to the stands.

"Mr. Lensherr," she called.

"Dr. Dempsey," he replied. "I'm happy to see you well."

"I'm happy to be well Mr. Lensherr," she replied.

"Please, call me Erik," he asked.

"I would be honored. Please call me Kate. I wanted to thank you for what you did for me. I know it was not an easy decision."

"I was pleased that I could be of some help. I'm sorry I could not do more."

"You did enough that day to save my life. I need to ask two more favors of you."

"I must hear these favors before I can commit to granting them."

"The first is easy. All I ask is that no matter what happens today, you do nothing ."

"Nothing?" he ask, confused.

"Events will take place today that will affect you years from now. I ask that you do not interfere with anything that happens. No matter how much you want to, please do not act."

"You know what is going to happen," he said with dawning comprehension.

"I'm precognitive," she told him. "Of course I know."

"What do I get out of this?"

"The mutant world you have been dreaming of but without bloodshed."

"All right, I agree. What is the other favor?"

"When the time comes, you will hold Logan back."

"Why me? Mrs. Summers is capable of keeping the animal out of trouble."

"He will be nearly feral. Jean can't hold him back when he is that wild. Jubilee will be near enough to him to calm him down but if he gets into the crowd, people will die. There must be only one death today. You can hold him by his skeleton. He will not be able to break your hold."

"You have seen your death today, haven't you?"

"I have seen it every January 1st since I was thirteen. Every year the vision became more detailed until last year, it became clear. I didn't have the vision this year. That's how I knew that this would be the year. I will live the vision rather than watch it."

"If you know it's coming, why don't you change it?"

"If I live, the world will fall into civil war. With in one year, it will go nuclear. Three billion people will die. I have seen both sides of the vision. My life is a small price to pay to prevent the death and destruction of civilization as we know it."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Will you do as I ask?" she asked.

"I will," he replied.

She nodded her head and turned to return to her friends,

"She is the noblest woman I have ever met," Magneto remarked to no one. "Either that, or the stupidest. Time will tell."

As she made her way through the crowd, she noticed several FOH badges. The other players were here and ready. All the pieces were in place now. She met Charles at the bottom of the stairs.

"I had to let Jean see the visions," he told her. :I will need her help to control the X Men."

"Erik will control Logan," she told him. "Neither you nor Jean will be able to hold him. Jubilee will be close by."

"I wish you wouldn't do this."

"The alternative is too horrible to contemplate," she said. "Well, I go to meet my destiny."

As she climbed the stairs, she found that she was nervous. There was a great deal riding on this. Don't screw this up, she told herself.

Logan and Jubilee met her at the top of the stairs. Jubilee was bouncing with excitement. Logan still had a concerned look on his face. The feeling of dread had been growing in him all day. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was a very bad idea.

Kate moved into his arms and laid her head on his chest. He could feel her trembling with nerves.

"I'll be right beside ya," he whispered"

"I love you, Logan," she said, pulling his mouth to hers. She kissed him with all of the passion she had. Their tongues dueled in a dance as old as time. Her hands swept his hard planes, committing them to memory. It went on so long that Jubilee had to clear her throat to break them up.

"Let's do this," Jubes said.

She gave him a look of longing and went out onto the stage. He followed close behind. Logan and Jubilee took seats behind her and waited for the applause to die down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Katherine Dempsey. I am a geneticist. Today, I have given testimony to the United States Congress on the mutant population and the growth of that population. That is dry statistics. If any of you have taken a statistics class, you know how mind numbingly boring it is. I won't go into numbers today because I'd rather keep my friends.

What is a mutant? By scientific definition, a mutant is any organism that has undergone a change in their DNA for any reason. In that case, we are all mutants. We started out as single cells in a pond of protoplasmic goo. A couple of million years later, here we are. What most people are concerned about is a small segment of DNA also know as X factor. X factor activates portions of out DNA that are normally dormant. The interesting thing about X factor is that is gives a small number of people powers that are not normally associated with humans. Does that change their basic genetic make up? No, it does not. They are still just as human as everyone else. They just have a little extra talent. Why, then do we fear them? So we fear the child that can play Bach at three? Do we fear the child that graduates high school at twelve? So we fear the people that can do complex equations in their heads? No, we don't. We admire them. We celebrate their talent. We want to be like them. Why so we fear these so called mutants if they're talents are just as genetically directed as the kid who plays Bach? It doesn't make sense."

Murmurs began to rise from the crowd. Many heads were nodding.

"They're animals," came a cry from the masses.

"Is your child an animal?" she countered. "Children born today have a one in four chance of being a mutant. The poisons we have released into our environment has caused the mutations. We created them. We must be responsible for them. We must give them equal rights in our society."

Behind her, Logan stood. "This is getting ugly," he growled.

"Sit down," she hissed.

People, we have no choice in the matter. The mutant population is our future. We are evolving in to them. They are us."

"They want what we have," yelled a man near the front. "We can't let them take our lives from us."

Logan caught the flash of a gun and was up in a heartbeat. By then, it was too late.

The pain surprised her. She didn't expect it to hurt that much as the bullet tore through her chest and inch below her left breast. The vision never included pain, just the sight of the blood and panic. She dimly heard screaming and realized it was Jubilee. The noise of the crowd crashed over her as she lay in Jubilees' lap, bleeding to death.

Logans' loud cry echoed across the green and the crowd fell silent. He was being held about six inches off the ground in a stiff posture. His eyes were wild with blood lust, needing to get to the shooter. The growling coming from his throat shook the air so much that those in the first five rows would later swear that they could feel it.

"Wolvie, help me," Jubilee cried.

H looked over at her. She was covered with blood, crying and scared. The blood lust drained out of him.

"Let me go, Magneto," he said through clenched teeth. "I need to help my girls."

He felt the pressure ease and disappear. He dropped to the stage and ran over to Jubes and Kate. She was bleeding badly. Her breath was shallow and rapid, her skin cold and pale. He could smell death on her and knew he was loosing her.

"Supposed to happen," she gasped. "Saw it."

He looked up to see the X Men surrounding the shooter, preventing his escape. Charles and Jean were both crying. Logan knew then that they both knew this was going to happen.

"Don't," she stopped to cough up blood, "be angry. Needed to happen."

"No, Kate," he begged. "Don't go."

"Sorry," she gasped. Her chest stilled. He heard her heart falter then stop.

Police officers made their way through the circle of X Men to take custody of the shooter. Cuffing him, they read him his rights.

Logan stood and looked at him

"Is this what we are? Have we become a people who kill each other because of a strand of DNA? Some say we want to take your lives from you. You couldn't be more wrong. We want our own lives. We want the chance for a peaceful death, not this. We want the right to an education without bias. We want the jobs we are qualified for. We want to die in our beds of old age.

"Yes, some of us have powers. Yes, people are curious how they work. All I can say is most of the time we have no idea how they work, just that they do. Some people think they have the right to experiment on us even if we say no. They believe it is their right. They think we don't have feelings. Tell that to the girl crying because her friend has been murdered in front of her. Tell that to the people she touched for the past six months. Tell that to me. I loved her. We have feelings and needs and wants. But our biggest want is the right to say no. No to participating in Frankenstein like experiments that a lot of us have been through, myself included. No to having our DNA messed with like we were an ear of corn. No to being forced to a war that we don't believe in.

"I have been a warrior all my life. All I want is peace and the chance to be something other than a warrior. I long for the day I don't have to watch my back all the time. The day when I don't have to worry when the ones I love go to the mall to buy new clothes.

"We don't want war, we want peace. We are willing to help in any way we can as long as you ask first and if we say no, we mean no. We can be good neighbors. Give us a chance."

The crowd was silent. Slowly, a man in the front row began to clap his hands. More joined in. Soon, the green was ringing with applause. Logan didn't hear it. He was carrying Kates' body through the crowd to the Blackbird , followed by the silent X Men.

Three days later:

The morning of Kate's funeral dawned cool and cloudy. It wasn't supposed to rain that day but Storm was unable to contain her feelings. She was buried on the estate in the cemetery Kurt had consecrated when he arrived at the mansion. After the funeral, Logan was in his room, packing. Charles knew he would leave after all that happened. He hoped he would return.

"Logan," Charles called from the door.

"I'm leaving for a while, Chuck," Logan told him.

"Will you come back?"

"I don't know."

"Kate left this with me to give to you after her funeral," Charles told him as he pulled the letter from his jacket.

"Thanks," Logan said taking the letter.

"She wanted you to read it before you left."

"I will."

"There is little I can say that will ease your pain except, I will miss her."

Logan turned toward the bed and nodded. Charles sighed and left the door heading for the next delivery.

Knocking on the door, he waited for her to answer. The door opened after a minute to reveal the tear stained face of Jubilee.

"He's leaving," she stated.

"Yes," Charles replied.

"I need him," she cried. "I can't do this again without him."

"You need to tell him that."

Pulling the letter from his coat, he handed it to her. "Kate wanted you to read this before Logan left."

"I will."

He turned to leave.

"Professor," she stopped him. "Will it ever stop?"

"Kate has made sure that it will."

She nodded and closed the door. She moved to the bed and opened the letter.

My dear Jubilee,

By now, events have taken place that will assure a peaceful future for all mutants. I'm sorry that you had to loose another friend this way but rest assured that my death will usher in a new understanding between human and mutant.

I know you are hurting, but Logan is hurting more. He needs you. He will try to leave and I am afraid that he will never come back. If he leave without you, he will never get beyond the anger. You need to go with him. It may take months, it may take years but if you are not with him, he will loose himself and you will never get him back. My last will and testament will be read while you are gone. I am willing you Logans' heart. He loves you Jubes. Make him see the woman you are and you can make him happy. You are the part of him he has been searching for most of his life. Take good care of him. Love him enough for the both of us.

Your friend Kate

Tears splashed onto the paper. She jumped up and began to pack.

Logan dreaded opening the letter. He didn't know if he could stand to hear Kate from the grave but Chuck would know if he didn't read it. He flicked out a claw and slit the letter open.

My dearest love,

By now, events have taken place that will prevent the war you dread. My death was a necessary part of those events. I wish I could spare you the pain you are feeling right now, but I can't. I know you will leave the mansion and retreat to Canada to lick your wounds but please don't stay too long.

I know you have questions and I will try to answer some of them. I had a vision on New Years Day the year I turned thirteen. The vision showed me the end of my life. I wasn't all that clear then but as the years went on and the vision recurred, it became clearer. I knew that I had to make a sacrifice to stop a war that would be more horrible than you can imagine. I knew I would meet you. You would become pivotal to my vision and my life. I don't regret any thing I've done in my life except BioGen. I suppose that if I hadn't gotten involved in BioGen, I wouldn't have found you but I hate that I was involved in such awful activities.

Before you leave, I have one last request. I want you to take Jubilee with you when you go. She needs you now more than you realize. And you need her more than you realize. Talk to her about me. Get her to talk to you about me. This way, you will both heal. Take your relationship with her where ever it needs to go. Remember that I love you both.

All my love Kate

He folded the letter neatly and returned it to the envelope. Tucking it into his bag, he crossed the room and opened the door to find Jubilee standing there with her bag on the floor beside her.

"Your letter must have been longer," she remarked.

"Come on, kid," he said gruffly. "Let's go."

"Stop calling me kid," she called as she ran after him. 


	17. Epilogue

The Beginning of the End - Epilogue

End of the line guys. Thanks to everyone who read the story. Mini Logan to all who sent feedback.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the familiar characters. Kate is mine.

Epilogue

Five years later:

The tie was going to kill him. He was certain of that. He wasn't sure if he had ever been hung in his life but he was sure this was how it felt. The crowd gathering on the lawn was starting to get loud. Alcohol was flowing freely and some of the guests had taken the opportunity to start the celebration early. Laughter and shrieks from the children in attendance floated up to his open window. A fair number of those kids were human.

In the past five years, more and more human students had been admitted to the school. Logan, never comfortable around kids, had watched with growing horror. He had become what he had never wanted to be; a teacher and role model to a bunch of ankle biters. Strangely enough, he didn't find domestication all that restricting. He still needed to get away from time to time but he found that he could live with the changes, as long as Jubilee was with him.

The change in his relationship with Jubilee was the most remarkable change over the past five years. At first, it was a shared grief that defined their interactions. Gradually, it became more. Two years ago, he finally admitted to himself that he loved and needed her as a man. Fear of those feelings made him run, thinking he was protecting her from a dirty old man. She hunted him down and ripped him a new one for his cowardice. He finally worked up the courage to give their love a chance and hasn't regretted it since.

There were objections at first but a quick "Fuck off" from Jubilee silenced most of them. Scott, oddly enough, immediately supported them, asking what took them so long to figure it out. Jean was very loud in her objections sometimes actively sabotaging their nights. A dressing down by the Professor finally stopped the torment she was dishing out.

Logan, never quiet when it came to sex, found that Jubilee was just as vocal. One day, a month after they had returned to the mansion, the students petitioned Xavier to have the lusty couple moved for the sanity of the residents of the wing. The next day, the red faced couple moved to a two room suite on the opposite end of the mansion. The students still giggled every time they was them together.

The shooter had been convicted earlier in the year of capital murder. Logan and Jubilee had testified for the prosecution. They admitted to being members of the X Men and both explained the non aggressive commitment of the group. The defense had several times tried to get them to disclose the location on the X Men without success. He then tried to push Logans' buttons with racial slurs and innuendo of a breeding program run by the X Men. He only stopped after he was cited for contempt of court. Logan, as Kates' lover at the time of her death, had also been invited to testify during the punishment phase of the trial. He declined stating that he didn't care what happened to the guy, as long as he never saw the light of day again. He was sentenced to death on Friday.

Returning to the present, Logan fingered the letter Xavier gave him that morning. He was reluctant to open the letter; it was from Kate. He still felt guilty falling for Jubilee so soon after Kates' death. He felt it cheapened what he and Kate had together. He straightened his back and opened the letter.

My dearest love,

Congratulations on your wedding day. Jubilee will make you a wonderful wife and partner.

Yes, I did foresee this happening. Do you remember the vision I had when we first met?

Logan thought back to the first day they met and remembered the odd look on her face as she had the vision. She told him that he would soon meet a woman who would keep up with him and complete him.

That woman was Jubilee, the letter went on. I know you had known her for many years but only as a child. It was then that you began to see her as the remarkable woman she had become.

She is the missing part of your soul, Logan. She completes you in a way I couldn't. She is the woman you were born to love.

Don't feel guilty about the love you have for her. I always knew I wasn't the one you were searching for. I can't hate her because she is the only one who can make you happy. I also can't hate her because she was the best friend I ever had.

Take care of each other but remember that there will be time when you are separated. Jubes is much more powerful than you and can take care of herself. If she should get hurt, it was the fault of the person who hurt her, not you. The same goes for Jubes.

Have a good life, my love. You won't hear from me again.

All my love Kate

Logan sniffed and wiped the tears from his cheeks. Folding the letter, he placed it in the wood box he had made while they were in Canada. He would share the letter with Jubilee later. He straightened his tie and left the room.

The ceremony was beautiful. Logan was stunned when Jubilee walked down the isle on Seans' arm. He had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. She chose a very pale yellow dress that hugged every curve. Jean, Ororo, Rogue and Kitty were in butter yellow. Paige, as maid of honor, was in a slightly darker color. Roses and lilies were everywhere, the scent hung heavy in the still air. Logan knew he wouldn't have lasted if the wedding had been indoors. The overpowering scent of the flowers would have made him nauseous. It was still enough to make him feel queasy. Storm saw the look on his face and took pity on him, sending a light breeze over the group to dissipate the scent.

After the ceremony, Sean approached Xavier, anxious to get some answers to questions that have been bothering him for years.

"Charles," he asked. "Do ya have any idea why the Friends of Humanity have been so quiet lately?"

"That is Kates' doing," Charles replied. "She looted their bank accounts and redirected the money to more worthy causes. The FOH now funds mutant shelters and scholarships all over the world. She left a worm in place so that new donations are redirected elsewhere."

"Smart gel," Sean remarked, impressed. "What about the human students? I never thought I would see the day you would have humans in the headquarters of the X Men."

"Kate again," he replied. "She left her estate to the school with the provision that I maintain a ten percent human to mutant ratio. If I didn't, the money would go to the Friends of Humanity."

"How could she be sure that you would?"

"She left a surveillance program in our computer system. On May 6th this year we had a twelve percent ratio and I got a message on my computer that said 'Surveillance ended, good luck Charles". It was signed by Kate."

"It couldn't have been that much money, Charles."

"Her estate at the time of her death was worth 2.3 billion dollars. I couldn't let the FOH get a hold on that kind of money. I had been thinking about admitting human students since she threatened to take us to court for violating Brown v Board of Education. She found a better way of forcing my hand. Very effective, her final solution."

"She was a remarkable woman, Charles," Sean told him.

"Yes," Charles said quietly. "She was. She told me that the tension would get much worse before it got better and she was right. Things are worse now than they have ever been but remarkable things have been happening. The Governor of Kansas has requested help with a drought that has plagued the state for over a year. Storm will meet with the Governor next week to discuss options. Jean has assisted the FBI with several kidnapping cases in the past three months. Logan and Jubilee are working with the Secret Service to assess the Presidents protection from mutant terrorist threats. Things are looking up. Strange that Kates' murder isn't what the mutant rights groups are quoting. They have found a cause in what Logan said that day. I would have never figured him to be the center of a civil rights movement. Life is full of surprises."

"Logan," Sean called as the bridegroom made his way to the two men. "Congratulations on getting a fine gel. You take good care of her, ya here me."

"Don't worry about her, Cassidy." Logan growled. "We'll take care of each other. Chuck, can I talk to ya?" he asked as Sean wandered over to Emma.

"You read the letter?" Charles asked.

"Yeah," Logan replied.

"Do you feel more comfortable now?"

"Yeah, I do. Jubes is the woman for me. Even Kate agrees.. She said that I wouldn't hear from her again."

"No, you won't," Charles agreed. "But Bishop will."

"Bishop?" Logan asked, surprised.

"The remaining letters are addressed to Bishop. I gave him the first one today."

"I wonder what they say," Logan mused.

"I have no idea but I'm sure they are interesting."

Bishop had spent the entire day making the wedding guests uncomfortable. His job was to guard the lives of the X Men and he took that duty seriously. He stared at and intimidated everyone who was not an X Man until the guests started giving him a wide berth. He stood at the door of the mansion, glowering as the Bride and Groom left for their honeymoon in Japan. He maintained that position until the last guest had left and the team came inside for the evening. Only the did he open the letter.

He didn't know Kate well. He had never trusted the human woman who had computer skills that intimidated him. He wondered why she would send a letter to him written before her death. His curiosity got the better of him and he unfolded the letter.

Bishop,

Watch over their children. They will be vitally important in the future.

Kate

A rare smile lit his face. She had known.

"I will guard them with my life, Kate," he promised, his mood much improved. He pocketed the letter, entered the mansion and closed and locked the door. 


End file.
